


An Open Affinity

by RainofAugust



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Angst, Awkward Flirting, Carbonite Freezing, Demisexuality, Developing Relationship, Enthusiastic Consent, Eventual Romance, F/F, Female Friendship, Femslash, First Times, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Joyful, KotFE spoilers, Lightsaber Battles, Lightsaber battle, Making Out, Mutual Pining, No Lesbians Die, POV Female Character, Shadow of Revan Spoilers, Sith Warrior class story spoilers, Slow Burn, Temporary Separation, Women in Love, Ziost spoilers, canon villain death (Colonel Darok Chapter 8), canon villain death (Darth Arkous Chapter 8), canon villain death (Revan Chapter 22), demi-romantic, destruction of Ziost, lost character, minor character death (Master Surro Chapter 26), minor character death (Rane Kovach Chapter 26), no sapphics die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2018-12-31 23:10:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 107,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12143142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainofAugust/pseuds/RainofAugust
Summary: When Lana met Viri, or how two demisexual, bisexual Sith Lords with an intense connection finally found each other.A retelling of the budding romance between Lana Beniko and the female Sith Warrior/Emperor's Wrath during Forged Alliances and Shadow of Revan.





	1. The Wrath

**Author's Note:**

> Several conversations are paraphrased from game dialogue. This, along with Lana Beniko, Darth Arkous, Vette, Jaesa, other SWTOR character and the worlds depicted in this fanfic belong to Bioware/EA/LucasArts. I'm just dreaming along with them.   
> Viridana Dragoi, Suvia Kallig, Brynn, Taran Walrez, Lucinda Walrez and Maeli are my original characters. The story and scenes that are not taken from the game are my original creations. Please don't borrow them. 
> 
> Many thanks to everyone who has liked, linked, or commented on my writing. It's really appreciated. <3

Lana Beniko is fatigued as she scans yet another line of code from Intelligence. She’s two weeks into the planning stage of Darth Arkous’s grand new project, and she’s been working twelve hour days. 

She knows very well that many Sith would envy her position: advisor to a member of the Dark Council. Sitting in an office all day, rather than engaging in combat on the battlefield. Plotting to completely decimate the Jedi. And that’s all surely satisfying, but given a choice, she would rather be in a library somewhere, cataloguing artifacts or reading. Yes, reading something other than military reports. 

They’ve stolen schematics; they’ve infiltrated the defense network; they’ve gone over the logistics again and again. The only questions remaining: finding someone qualified to lead a direct ground assault on the Jedi Temple in Tython; and learning if they’ll actually consent to participate. 

“We’re going to try to get the Emperor’s Wrath,” Arkous says. 

”Try? Doesn’t she have to appear if you summon her?”

”No, she does not. She answers only to the Emperor. She can and will turn down a project she doesn’t like, regardless of who is asking, and she will not be shy about it. She’s even told off Darth Marr on occasion, although they seem to get on well, in general. Having said that, if you present her with a cause she believes in, something she can take on as a challenge, or a project that aids civilians, she’s likely to help. And she hates the Jedi, so there’s that.”

“Have you had any contact with her?” 

”I was present when she destroyed Darth Baras, so I’ve technically been in the same room with her, but I haven’t spoken to her personally.” 

”Do you mean that’s not an urban legend? She actually walked into the Dark Council chambers and challenged Baras?” 

”Yes.” 

Lana shakes her head. “I can’t even imagine the strength it took to do that.” 

”Baras tried to kill her four times? Maybe five? It was high time for her to settle the score and take her place. Some of the other information in her file is just as interesting.” 

Lana logs into Intelligence’s database, but hits a red screen. ”I can’t read it. Only the Dark Council has clearance to view her file.” 

Darth Arkous smiles and punches a code on the console. “Aren’t you fortunate to have a member of the Dark Council present, then. Have a look.” The Wrath’s identity photo stares back at Lana, along with her real name: Viridana Dragoi. 

Lana’s eyes grow wide as she scans the list of completed missions. The Wrath has made her mark all across the galaxy. _Defeated Dread Masters. Defeated Darth Malgus and thwarted his “New Empire.” Defeated Jedi Masters Nomen Karr and Yonlach. Cleared out Green Jedi on Corellia. Infiltrated the Foundry and defeated an incarnation of…dear Force, Darth_ Revan? 

The next paragraph, however, catches her eye even more. _Known to avoid civilian casualties whenever feasible and negotiate or ally with hostiles in order to advance objectives. Generally will not renege on agreements. While methods have occasionally been questioned by some in Imperial Command, end results of such compromises and alliances have uniformly proven fruitful for the Empire. Thus, the Wrath’s discernment is to be respected and trusted. She is known to be pragmatic, resourceful, and diplomatic, but ruthless when necessary._

“Well, Lana? What do you think?” 

”She’s certainly capable of the task at hand.” 

”Indeed she is. If we can get the Wrath, it’s the closest we’ll ever get to guaranteed success. The question becomes, will she participate. I’ll reach out to her.” 

Lana shakes her head. She’s not sure if she even wants to meet the Emperor’s enforcer. 

* 

“She finally received the message from my droid. She said she’ll show up when she has a chance. Which means she could walk in at any moment, today or a week from now.” 

The Wrath doesn’t appear that day, or the next. But on the third afternoon, as Lana pores over a map of Tython, a cold chill runs down her spine. Something – someone – very strong in the Force is nearby. What’s more, their Force signature seems to be pulling toward hers, as though it’s found a long-lost friend. 

Lana closes her eyes to center herself, and then turns to discover the Emperor’s Wrath standing a few meters away from her, staring her down. 

Her face is completely unreadable. She’s far taller than Lana had expected. Dramatic makeup surrounds her eyes, which are – inexplicably – a brilliant blue, and her Sith armor is all spikes and jagged edges. The Wrath crosses her arms and raises one eyebrow as she stares at Lana. And behind her cool façade, Lana senses that she is just as baffled by the connection pulling at them both. There’s no hostility; she’s simply waiting to see what happens. 

Darth Arkous finally turns to introduce them. But it’s really not necessary. They somehow already know each other.


	2. Tython

As the strike team's shuttle descends on Tython, Lana sets her communications channel to the Wrath’s frequency. She will be providing logistical support and tracking the Wrath through the Jedi's home turf. 

The Wrath has brought two of her companions for backup: the Twi’lek, Vette, and the apprentice, Jaesa. Lana had expected that; it wouldn’t be wise for anyone, even the Emperor’s Wrath, to approach the Jedi Temple alone. Given the list of completed missions in the Wrath’s Intel files, the quick, methodical way in which she annihilates the Republic’s defenses is no surprise, either. It’s clearly terrain that’s familiar for her. 

Lana is not prepared, however, for just how much the Wrath and her team _talk._ She has a macabre sense of humor, and her companions chatter back and forth with her as they blaze their way through Tython. 

“Could you use the stairs instead of jumping off the balcony, you weirdo? Just once? That’s your third pair of boots this month.” Lana recognizes the voice; it’s the Twi’lek. 

”At least she didn’t run into a tree again, like she did before,” quips the other; the Wrath’s apprentice. 

”Maybe the tree shouldn’t have been in my way,” huffs the Wrath, with a touch of laughter behind her stern voice. 

“Every tree is in your way.” 

”It wouldn’t be a proper mission if she didn’t run into a tree. I think that’s somewhere in the Sith Code.” 

”Through shrubbery I gain bruises,” laughs the Wrath. 

Lana stares at the console in disbelief as the jokes continue, all the way to the Temple doors.

”Did you really need to kill him right there? I almost tripped over his head.” 

”Apologies,” the Wrath says sardonically. “Where would you prefer that I leave the head next time, for your maximum convenience?”

”Don’t get ahead of yourself.” 

The chatter ebbs away as they get deeper into the Temple, but every now and then, irreverent comments still pop up on the com channel. 

”Your presence here disgusts me!” snarls one of the Jedi Masters, loudly enough that Lana hears it on her headset. 

”Wait up, isn’t disgust an emotion? That’s against your code, is it not? Tsk tsk,” the Wrath chides. Lana hears a lightsaber hit its mark, and the Jedi falls silent. 

“Jae, can you try to avoid fighting near the books? You’re getting blood on them.” 

”Oh, that’s always my top priority when I’m trying to avoid being decapitated,” deadpans Jaesa, “Making sure I’m tidy.”

”I’m actually serious. I think Darth Arkous and Ms. Beniko want those artifacts saved. I don’t think they’d appreciate it if they were covered in gore.” 

Lana breaks into the conversation. “Do what you need to do. We’ll clean it up later.” 

”See? Ms. Beniko’s nice.” 

”All of you against me at every turn,” the Wrath says, with mock sadness. “Nobody cares about the cleanliness of our missions except for me.” Lana hears the lightsaber hit another body. 

”…says the person who still has leaves in her hair and is half covered in blood.”

“Leaves and blood are in this spring. It’s my new ensemble.” 

”Has anyone ever told you that you’re impossible? Completely and entirely impossible?” 

”Once or twice, maybe,” the Wrath says, and she actually laughs. 

Lana shakes her head and smiles. She’s surprised to realize that she _likes_ the Emperor’s Wrath. She wouldn’t mind sitting down and having a drink with her, at the very least. 

* 

When the deeds are done and the Jedi Temple is fully in Empire hands, the Wrath pops up on Lana’s Holo. 

”…talented slicers we have in our employ. Though of course, even they pale in comparison to you,” Lana tells her. 

”Nobody’s paler than Lord Wrath over here. She’s a ghost,” Vette quips, breaking into the conversation. 

“Your companions have a charming sense of humor,” Lana says politely. The Wrath smiles and shakes her head. 

”Vette, Jae, I want silence while I take this call. That’s an order, not a request.” She turns back to Lana. “Gallows humor works for us. But I do apologize if you were distracted by it. We don’t usually have comm support, so we’re used to talking amongst ourselves on a closed channel, and when a mission’s this easy, well, we get especially silly.”

”I’m sorry, I thought it would help you to be in contact…” 

”It did,” The Wrath says quickly. “I greatly appreciated it, in fact. It was nice to have guidance and support, as well as someone tracking our progress. You were incredibly helpful. I’m apologizing to _you,_ Ms. Beniko. My team and I have our own system, and while I think it works for us, we forget that it’s perhaps a bit unconventional. I should have warned you, or else instructed my team that we’d need to be a little more restrained as we worked.” 

“Think nothing of it,” Lana says with a smile. “It was entertaining, and it obviously didn’t distract you from the tasks at hand. You do whatever works best for you. I will say, though…I didn’t expect that sort of levity. It was a pleasant surprise.” 

The Wrath smiles slightly before her face drops back into its usual mask. “I like to surprise people. But we have other matters to discuss. I see that the Imperial troops here are already securing the artifacts and going through the archives, so I’m going to assume that my team and I are not needed for any further action on Tython. When are we debriefing?” 

”The shuttle’s waiting outside. Come to us when you arrive back at the Spacedock. I hope to see you soon.” 

”Likewise.” 

* 

As Lana waits for the Wrath and her crew, she returns to her console. She hasn’t logged out since Darth Arkous entered his access code, so the Wrath’s file is still available to her. 

Now that she’s actually met the Wrath, Lana feels uncomfortable browsing her Intel file. But she still does. She ignores the long lists of military honors and scrolls down to the section she’d bypassed before: personal information about the Wrath. 

The Wrath is seven and a half years younger than Lana. Born and mostly raised on Corellia, but also spent time living on Naboo. Highly intelligent, with a strong aptitude for math and the natural sciences. Studied… _dance?…_ and performed with a Corellian dance troupe as a child. 

Parents: Imperial scientists. Both deceased. No siblings. No known romantic affiliations. No children, and has said outright that she doesn’t want them. One member of her crew had betrayed her; she’d injured him severely, dismissed him from her ship and sent him to Imperial prison. The rest of her crew appeared devoted to her. She’d purchased Imperial citizenship for all three of the aliens in her employ: a Twi’lek former slave, a Talz warrior and…an Ewok mercenary?

“Ah, Lana. A bit taken with our friend the Wrath, I see?” Lana jumps at Darth Arkous’s voice. 

”I feel it’s helpful to know our allies,” Lana says coolly. “She’s a most intriguing person, and the more we know about her, the better. I didn’t get to read this file fully before.” 

”Indeed,” Arkous says, smirking. “As you see, she’s complicated.” 

”That’s putting it mildly,” Lana agrees. She instinctively knows that the moment she moves from the console, her access to this file will be revoked. So she stares at the contact information at the bottom of the screen and commits it to memory. 

*

The Wrath arrives back at Darth Arkous’s office in clean, fresh armor. She’s obviously showered and reapplied her makeup, and appears as unshakeable as ever. Her face is inscrutable as Arkous plies her with compliments. Every now and then her eyes track toward Lana, and then away again. She’s disgusted by Darth Arkous’s hyperbolic flattery, Lana realizes. And he’s not even picking up on it. 

When word arrives that Korriban is under attack – the Wrath is skeptical. “Why would they be going after Korriban while we still hold the Temple?” 

Something goes cold in Lana’s mind: she’s right. Something’s off. That truth is compounded even more by Darth Arkous’s tight smile and deflection. But when the Wrath's eyes flick to Lana and then away, they are somehow satisfied by what they see there, and she agrees to defend Korriban.


	3. Korriban

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has liked, linked or commented on my writing. It means a lot. :)
> 
> New chapters of this story will be added every five days or so.

Lana can feel molten anger radiating off the Wrath, even through her comlink, as she tears through Korriban. She’s left her apprentice at home this time and brought another companion along with Vette – a Lt. Pierce, an alumnus of Imperial Black Ops – and there’s less levity this time. 

The Wrath grimly fights her way through the red sands of Korriban toward the Sith Academy. It wasn’t as though Korriban was a pleasant place for her. Anything but. Still…still…to see the Academy breached is traumatic. Her identity as a Sith bleeds into every part of her soul, and an attack on the Academy is an attack on her.

_Channel your anger, Viridana. Make it work for you. Don’t let it consume you; let it serve you._ The messages of the Wrath's earliest teachers still ring in her ears. _A fire can destroy a room. But it can also heat the room on a cold night or illuminate it, if it’s properly contained and channeled. Call on the Force. Let it show you the way._

“Oh look, Vette. Giant slugs. On Korriban. I’m shocked, just shocked, I tell you.” The Wrath cuts two of them in half, and then another two. “Why aren’t they attacking the _Jedi,_ damn it?” 

”Even the slugs have some dignity. Would _you_ want to devour a Jedi? They probably taste awful.” 

“I’m so glad they’re showing discernment,” the Wrath snickers. 

Lana’s voice is in her earpiece as she bounds up the steps to the Academy’s entrance. “I don’t envy you right now. I don’t know what I’d do if I saw the Academy in the enemy’s hands.” 

The Wrath stops cold. The statement is infused with something she usually doesn’t get from fellow Sith: empathy. As though the person on the other end of the comlink actually…understands. Or cares. Or isn’t just expecting her to be a killing machine or serve them, for a change. She realizes, all at once, that she’s fond of Lana Beniko. What form that fondness takes, she isn’t sure, but there’s a clear affinity. She stands stock-still in the middle of the carnage and chaos, letting the flames lick around her, as she processes it. 

”This is _not_ the time to stand still, you doofus!” Vette’s voice brings her back to reality. “Hello, this place is lousy with Jedi! Meditate when we get home, not here!”

”Lord Wrath? Are you there?” Lana sounds concerned. The Wrath's concentration has totally slipped, and she's not sure why. 

”Yes,” the Wrath says. “…thank you. Truly.” Something about her voice sounds different to Lana, although she can’t place it.

”Keep focused. May the Force serve you well.” 

”On it,” the Wrath says. Her deadly focus returns instantly, and she takes out the Jedi in front of her with one sweep of her lightsaber. 

* 

The Wrath makes her way through the ruins of the training rooms and the offices. When she reaches the libraries, she gasps. 

”Lord Wrath? Are you all right?” Lana asks over the comm. 

“You know, at least we tried to save _their_ literature and artifacts. They, on the other hand…” The Wrath looks around the room and blanches at the sheer destruction. “They seem to have gone out of their way to erase it all.” 

”The Jedi have neither empathy nor concern for anyone not on their precious path. Thus, I’m not surprised that they’ve seen no value in our heritage, but I’m sure I’d be as angry to see it as you are. You may be pleased to know that all the information is archived offworld. The originals might have been destroyed, but the data remains. There’s far more than one backup copy, in fact.” 

“That’s very good to hear.” 

”Also, I’m hearing from Imperial forces that they’ve been able to secure most of the tombs. The Republic was unfortunately able to get through Ajunta Pall’s tomb, but Tulak Hord’s complex, and the others farther from the Academy, have been blocked off.” 

”Never thought the day would come where I’d be glad that Tulak Hord’s tomb was safe. I hated that miserable place when I was in Academy,” the Wrath muses. “I probably would have blown it up myself, if I could have.” 

“Thousands of other Sith and acolytes would agree with you, I think,” Lana agrees, “I didn’t find them particularly pleasant myself. But the Sith legacy must be protected.” 

”We are Sith. We endure,” The Wrath says…in Sith. 

”Yes,” Lana replies, in the same language without thinking twice.

The Wrath’s mood improves considerably as she gets deeper into the Sith Academy and dispatches the Jedi holding critical choke points. By the time she arrives at the Dark Council chambers, she’s back in her usual form. 

“I’m a Jedi _and_ a soldier!” bellows the Republic Commander as he leaps at the Wrath, lightsaber drawn. 

”And _I_ can pat my head and rub my tummy at the same time! Who the hell _cares?!_ ” The Wrath’s lightsaber strikes, ending the battle before it even starts. 

* 

When the Wrath appears on Lana’s holo again, she's looking dusty and tired. 

”I suppose saying ‘good work’ would be a gross understatement,” Lana says. 

The Wrath grins. “You can still feel free to say it. However…I need to tell you, the Jedi said some unusual things.” 

”Yeah, he was listing his resume in the middle of the battle…Lord Wrath, did you know he was a Jedi?” Vette says, with mock surprise. 

” _And_ a solider! Oh Force, I was scared!” the Wrath says, pretending to shiver. Lana has to laugh on the other end of the holo. 

”Jokes aside, did he say anything we need to know about?” 

”Yes. He made some comments I found to be…somewhat suspicious. More than one, as though he were focused on some larger goal.” 

“Let’s not discuss it on the holo. The shuttle’s waiting outside. When you get back to the Spaceport, we can explore it. Darth Arkous is waiting to offer his congratulations.” 

”See you soon.”

* 

Lana tracks the Wrath’s shuttle’s progress as it makes its way back to the Spaceport. However, once it’s docked, there’s no sign of the Wrath. She paces through Darth Arkous’s office, trying to be patient, but finally gives up and walks down to the shuttle port herself. She finds Vette and Lt. Pierce lounging against the outside the spacecraft. 

”Where’s Lord Wrath?” Vette raises an eyebrow at her. 

”Oh right, you’re new. You don't know how she does things. She went over to our ship for a moment, because she was a bit dusty from the battlefield and wanted to freshen up and change clothes. Something about being presentable in front of Dark Council members.” 

”That’s not necessary for Darth Arkous,” Lana shakes her head. “He knows where she just was.” 

”You don’t reason with my lord on this point, Ms. Beniko,” chuckles Pierce. “If she were about to be killed – not saying she ever actually would be, but in theory – I think she would ask them to wait a second so she could choose a funeral outfit.” 

”She _has_ a funeral outfit,” Vette says dryly. 

”Please tell me you’re kidding,” Lana says. 

”Summer _and_ winter funeral ensembles, actually. She says she wouldn’t want anyone else to dress her,” Vette shakes her head. “I’m making her sound vain. She really isn’t. And she’s generally pretty considerate. But she has this thing about looking the part all the time.” 

“Well, when she does emerge, please let her know we’re waiting.” 

* 

The Wrath shows up in Darth Arkous’s office a half hour later. Whatever annoyance he has at her tardiness, it’s concealed the moment she walks into the room. As before, he heaps compliment after compliment on her head; as before, the Wrath listens politely. 

”One thing, Darth Arkous. The Jedi Commander I defeated in the Dark Council chambers – Jensyn, I think it was - made a number of extremely questionable statements.” 

”I’d imagine anything the Jedi say is questionable,” chuckles Arkous. “But…” 

The Wrath holds up her hand to cut him off. “I wasn’t finished. He said something very specific about having served his purpose. That phrase seemed to hold significance for him. He also said that something was happening that we couldn’t stop.” 

”Interesting! It’s as though the Republic sacrificed all those troops for a greater goal,” Darth Arkous says, and quickly changes the subject. The Wrath’s eyes flick to Lana again and again, as though she’s expecting her to say something. 

”Did you take Lord Goh’s vow of silence, or whatever that was?” the Wrath finally says sharply, turning her laser gaze on Lana. 

”I’m reflecting on the events of the day,” Lana says carefully. “But I hope we’ll get to talk again. Hopefully soon.”

“I hope so too,” the Wrath says, looking pointedly only at Lana. 

“And Darth Arkous, I’m honored to have been able to serve a member of the Dark Council. As you know, cooperation and unity are critical to the continued success of our Empire. Good day to you both. For the Empire.” Lana raises her eyebrows and stares after the Wrath as she imperiously turns and stalks out of the room. 

”I’ll start investigating what she mentioned,” Lana tells Darth Arkous. “Commander Jensyn, she said? I’ll run his file. It does sound as though something deeper was at play with that assault on Korriban.” 

”You will not investigate anything,” Darth Arkous says coolly. “I’m not particularly concerned with what the Wrath thought she heard. She should stick to killing, not thinking. I want you to get busy mapping those hyperspace routes I specified.” 

”As you wish, my lord,” says Lana. Something is deeply wrong. She knows it, the Wrath knows it…and she’s feeling, more strongly than ever, that Darth Arkous is a part of it.


	4. A Real Dialogue

**Nar Shaddaa**

The bass reverberates into Viridana’s soul, and she shuts her eyes, raises her arms in the air and swings her hips with wild abandon. It’s 0300 on Nar Shaddaa and Club Quasar is hopping; the dance floor is hot and teeming with celebrants. Viri deftly steps away from a man who is attempting to grind against her, punctuating her refusal with a strong elbow to his gut when he persists.

A few days ago she might have been defending Korriban as the Wrath, but tonight Viridana Dragoi cares about nothing more than unwinding. And Nar Shaddaa is the perfect place for it. She fully intends to party until dawn, crawl home to her apartment above the city, and do it again tomorrow night. 

As the song ends, she applauds and wanders to the side of the floor to get a drink. ”Sugar Rush, please,” she calls to the bartender. The Twi’lek behind the bar scowls and silently hands her a bottle of the bubbly beverage – non-alcoholic, but infused with enough sugar to hype her up until sunrise – but smiles broadly when she tosses some extra credits in his direction. 

”Hey, pretty lady,” says a short woman, sidling up to her. “I see you already have a drink, can I get…anything else for you?” 

”No thanks, beautiful,” Viri smiles, and walks away, sipping her drink. Her interest in Nar Shaddaa lies with the dance clubs and casinos; not the more carnal pleasures. 

On the dance floor, Vette is still blissfully hopping along to the music. Her lekku, freshly buffed and covered in glitter, sway as she twists and turns. When the holo in her pocket rings, she scowls. 

”Yeah, what?!”

Lana Beniko appears on the holo, looking uncertain. “Um…is Lord Wrath there? This is the frequency I have for her.” 

“Oh, sorry, wait a second while I grab her. This is just the backup holo. I carry it for her.” Vette finds Viri on the side of the dance floor, hands off the holo and disappears. 

”Lord Wrath?” The Wrath has let her hair down and is wearing even more dramatic makeup, as well as a trendy black shirt and trousers. 

“Let me walk to someplace a little quieter.” The Wrath ducks into what appears to be an adrenal dosing vestibule and closes the door, and when she speaks again, it’s in Sith. “I’m on Nar Shaddaa, and all sorts of people hang out in these clubs. It’s probably best not to use the term ‘Wrath’ here. Not that I couldn’t take them down in two seconds, but it would be nice to get through a night without touching my lightsaber for once. Let’s not speak Basic, for the same reason.” 

”Understood,” Lana says, speaking the same language. “I am sorry to bother you…” 

”You’re not bothering me at all. I’m glad to hear from you,” the Wrath says. “I realized too late that I didn’t have your contact information. And for some reason, I didn’t think your boss would be pleased to give it to me.” 

”You may be correct there,” Lana says. She realizes how much she’s missed speaking Sith…and missed speaking to this particular Sith. “At any rate, I was wondering if we could meet on the Fleet. There’s some critical information I need to share with you.” 

”Of course. I’ll head out now,” the Wrath replies. “I’ll holo you when I arrive.” 

”Very good, lord Wr--- I mean, my lord. Safe travels.”

*  
**Vaiken Spacedock**

Lana’s disappointed as she walks around the Fleet cantina: even though the bond is pulling at her, there’s no visible sign of the Wrath. 

”Looking for me?” the Wrath’s voice, directly behind her, makes her jump slightly. 

”You came, good,” Lana says. “I didn’t recognize you.” The Wrath is wearing a simple red and black set of robes, has tied her hair back again, and has removed the clubbing makeup. Her hood covers half of her face. Now that Lana is close to her, the connection they share is sparking. 

“It’s far easier to blend in here when I don’t look as though I am fresh from the battlefield,” the Wrath explains. ”People…tend to be afraid of me, and when I’m not working, that gets a bit tiresome. So I engage in a bit of camouflage. Right now I’m just another Sith, and it suits me.” 

”I’m impressed, my lord. And a little surprised…”

The Wrath smiles as she leads Lana to a table. “My title grants me freedom. I’m not beholden to anyone here, and I’m free to pursue whatever passions or projects I choose. I value that freedom highly. It’s what our Code promises us, isn’t it? That the Force will set us free. In my case, it very much has. But…I don’t care for flaunting status or titles or pulling rank just because I can. Especially when I’m not at work.” 

”I see,” Lana says. 

”Given that you do not use a title at all - and I sense enough power in you to easily be a Darth - I’m wondering if you might have similar feelings.” 

Lana nods. “I do, actually. I take great pride in being Sith, and I accept that honor whole-heartedly. But knowledge, answers, truth, the Force: these are the things I hold dear. Titles do not interest me." 

“Those are most worthy goals.” The Wrath sits down at the table, steeples her fingers and looks intently at Lana, waiting for her to speak. 

”I realize that I’ve been quiet following your success on Tython. Don’t mistake my reticence for apathy. The truth is, I have a lot to say, and now that we’re alone, we can have a real dialogue.” Lana pauses. “I am glad you agreed to meet me.” 

A waitress approaches their table, interrupting them. “Something for you, my lord?” she asks Lana. 

“White wine, please,” Lana says. 

”And for your apprentice?” 

"My..." Lana's speechless for a moment. 

“Yes, Master, may I please have a drink? I’ve been good this week.” The Wrath folds her hands and hunches over the table, her hood completely obscuring her face. 

"Um…yes…my...er...apprentice...will also have...the same?” The Wrath nods subtly. "Yes, just make that two white wines." 

“Oh, thaaaaaank you, Master. You’re so kind to me,” the Wrath simpers, and bows her head even more. Lana stares at her, incredulous. 

As soon as the waitress walks away, the Wrath all but convulses with laughter, slapping the table with her hand in her mirth. “You have to admit, that was funny." 

Lana tries to remain stoic. And she fails. “Yes, I suppose I do,” she chuckles. 

”Might as well keep it up,” the Wrath says, and quickly slides some credits across the table. “Here, this should be more than enough for both of us.” 

”I can’t take your credits,” Lana says, horrified.

”Humor me. If they figure out who I am, they won’t let me pay. It’ll go on the house, which tends to make me very uncomfortable.” 

”As you wish…’apprentice,’” Lana says, her mouth quirking into a smile. “Shall we get back to some semblance of focus here?” 

”If we must,” the Wrath says, with a theatrical sigh. She pulls back her hood for a second to look Lana full in the face, before replacing it. “Tell me, what’s on your mind?” 

Lana finds it easy, somehow, to tell the Wrath her suspicions about Darth Arkous. She knows, instinctively, that the Wrath won’t repeat them to anyone…because she shares them. 

“It didn’t make sense that the Republic attacked Korriban while we held the Jedi Temple,” the Wrath muses. “It seemed off to me then, and it still does.” 

”Why did you agree to defend Korriban, then?” Lana asks. 

The Wrath shrugs. “The motives and timing may have been suspect, but there was no question that Korriban was in need of my help at that moment. It’s a symbol of the Sith Empire, and it was being debased. As the Wrath and a Sith, I felt it was my duty to defend it.” 

”I would have used the same reasoning, if it were me,” Lana agrees. “I have to ask…did you run across any of the overseers there? There’s one I would have liked to see dead.” 

”Let me guess, Harkun?” The Wrath sips her wine. ”I was lucky enough not to be on his roster, but I’ve heard from more than one person that he was a sadistic nightmare. Some of his acolytes shared my barracks in Korriban. By the time I left, they’d all died.” 

”That sounds about right,” Lana says grimly. “Of the acolytes who began in my group, only two of us survived all the trials he assigned.” 

”I’m glad you survived,” the Wrath says, and hastily looks away. “But no, I didn’t find him there. You will be happy to know that he’s apparently quite deceased, however. Darth Nox took him out a few years ago, as I heard it.” 

”Good for her,” Lana says. “I’m glad she rid us all of that monster.” She’s finding it difficult to stay on track with the Wrath; they keep being swayed to tangent after tangent. 

“To get back to what I was saying…there’s something growing in the Force. I can’t help but feel that the Empire is in terrible danger.” 

”I should feel that, too. Are you sure?”

”I think I feel it because I’m tied to it somehow. Maybe through my association with Darth Arkous,” Lana says. 

The Wrath toys with her empty wine glass, contemplating. “That would make sense.” 

“I’m far from weak, but I’m only one Sith. Whatever’s coming, I can’t face it alone, Wrath.” 

”Anyone conspiring against the Empire will answer to me," the Wrath replies. “I will not allow you to fight that alone. If you need my help, it's yours.” 

”I knew I could count on you. I felt it.” 

The Wrath smiles slightly and pulls out her datapad. “I am sending you my personal holo frequencies. My own, and my ship’s, so you should be able to reach me wherever I am. I’m giving these to you, not to Darth Arkous or the Council, so I’d appreciate it if they were kept confidential. If you need to get in touch, please don’t hesitate to use them. The holo information in my Intel file is just the backup, and as you saw, Vette carries it so she can screen my calls. So use the others. The email address listed in Intel is my own, though, and I’m the only one with access to it, so please do use that freely.” 

Lana blushes. “About that Intel file, my lord…”

”I know you looked at my file, Ms. Beniko,” the Wrath says. “It’s not a problem. Really. There’s no need to be embarrassed about it. I’ve read that file start to finish myself and there’s nothing there I’m ashamed of. Given the sensitive nature of your job, and the tasks at hand, I’d be very surprised if you hadn’t checked it out before Darth Arkous summoned me.” 

“How did you read the Intelligence database?!”

”Wrath perks. Let’s leave it there.” 

”Understood, my lord. I’m sending you my own contact details, so we’ll both be in the loop. And you know…you _can_ call me Lana.” 

The Wrath smiles. “Only if you call me Viri. I’m not some stuffy old Darth, swooping around like a giant bogwing.”

Lana blushes again. “Lord Wrath, I don’t feel comfortable not respecting your status…”

The Wrath sighs. “That’s fine, whatever makes you comfortable. Anyway, the information I’m giving you is the best way to reach me. I'm going back to Nar Shaddaa, but I'll keep my schedule clear for the time being, and place my ship and a couple of my crew members on standby in case you need us to move quickly. Unless an emergency arises, we should be ready to roll when and if you need us. I've worked hard lately, what with Makeb and Oricon; taking a break shouldn't raise anyone's eyebrows in the Dark Council."

"Why not stay in Dromund Kaas?"

"I do have an apartment in Kaas City for times when I need to stay close to the Citadel, but Nar Shaddaa offers a bit more discretion, and I think that may be a good thing in this case. Anything at all - including the comings and goings of my starship - can be conveniently forgotten with enough bribes to the right Hutt, if necessary. In Dromund Kaas that would not be the case. Even I can't tamper with the departure manifests from DK or Vaiken. And - " the Wrath grins - "Nar Shaddaa has far better nightlife. If I'm not working, I prefer to be dancing."

"Understood," Lana says.

Regardless, I hope you will let me know what you find.” 

“There’s no question there,” Lana replies. “I’ll try to make sense of what’s transpired, and I’ll be in touch. May the Force serve you well.”

*  
**Dromund Kaas**

Lana has always liked droids. They simply serve, in their friendly way. Her protocol droid meets her at the door of her apartment and takes her cloak; the astromech already has her evening tea brewing in the kitchen. The rain and thunder outside are comforting as she settles down on her couch with her datapad. 

Lana's writing is the one part of her life that does not seem to be methodically scheduled. She carves out special time for it, yes; but she doesn't direct it. Sometimes she recounts the events of her day; sometimes she tries to recreate specific verse structures; other times, she simply freewrites whatever is on her mind. Tonight, she's inclined toward the latter, and her fingers fly across the keys, writing in both Basic and Sith. After a full page of prose, she stops to read back what she's written. It's part of the thrill of freewriting; seeing what her psyche has decided to surprise her with. 

Every single line on her screen is obviously about the Wrath. Or her. Or her _with_ the Wrath. In fact, there are a few lines that make her blush. She moves to delete the text, and then reconsiders. The bond she has with the Wrath...is not unpleasant. She likes the woman. It remains to be seen what form that 'like' takes, but it's something to meditate on, she decides. She switches off the datapad and drinks her tea, staring out the window at the lightning storm arcing across Kaas City in the early morning. The Wrath is probably halfway back to Nar Shaddaa right now; Lana muses. She's probably changed into her starship outfit and is looking forward to another night of dancing. 

_Starship outfit?!_ Lana chuckles to herself. Of course, the Wrath probably has one.


	5. Beneath the Surface

The Wrath and Vette wander through the Welcome Center on Manaan, blinking in the bright sunlight. It’s calm. Ever so calm. 

”I wish I could just sit by these fountains for a while,” the Wrath says, as they walk across another sun-washed plaza. “It’s so tranquil here.” 

”I could handle a vacation in this sunshine,” Vette agrees. “Any chance we could just forget about meeting your friend and go on a cruise or something? It would probably be more fun than whatever Ms. Beniko has in store for us. When are you asking her out, by the way? You’d be cute together.” 

”We're at work, Vette,” says the Wrath, completely ignoring the second question. “As much as I'd like to dive into that ocean, we're not here for a vacation. You know that.” 

”Yes, yes, I know,” Vette sighs. “Off we go, to another day of destruction and near-death experiences. I can't wait. How are we going to find her, anyway?” 

”We just are.” The Wrath doesn’t tell her that she’s following the pull of Lana’s Force signature; that it’s leading her directly to Lana. Sure enough, as she walks down one corridor and then the next, the connection grows stronger, until she’s standing before a large office. 

Lana is sitting behind the desk, perusing a datapad. When the Wrath walks into the room, she immediately rises. “Welcome. It’s so good to see you again.” 

”It’s very good to see you,” the Wrath replies. “I’m confused, though. Why are we on Manaan? This is one of the few worlds where there’s no conflict with the Republic, and the Empire is hands-off. What could possibly be happening here?”

”That’s what I hope we’ll find out today,” Lana replies. “I’ve discovered that Darth Arkous has been in contact with the research laboratory here on a regular basis. He appears to be here, now. I can only believe that what he’s doing ties in to whatever is being planned to bring down the Empire.” 

“I know Darth Arkous was a mentor to you. This can’t be easy to take.” _Empathy. Gratitude._ The connection is so strong, now that they're next to each other, that some of their less guarded emotions flash like tiny sparks of light between them. 

“He had me fooled for some time. I see his true face now, and it's not one I would ever want to associate with,” Lana replies. "I need you to breach that research lab and see what you can discover about his plans.” 

“You’re not coming?” The Wrath wrinkles her brow as she looks at Lana. 

”I’d intended to confront Darth Arkous myself. I think that’s important, in fact,” Lana replies. “But I sense the presence of a potential ally. I’d like to remain here to see if I can connect with them.” 

”Fair enough.”

”I’ll stay in touch and let you know how my search progresses. May the Force be ever at your service, Lord Wrath.” 

* 

As Lana expected, the Wrath has no trouble whatsoever breaching the lab, dispatching security, and contending with the Selkath Order of Shasa. She does, however, have an issue tearing herself away from the laboratory itself. 

“Look at this lab,” the Wrath says, with a touch of awe in her voice. “The things one could discover with facilities like this…dear Force, they have an atom splitter. Look at this, Vette. It’s beautiful.”

“Oh no, you’ve done it, Ms. Beniko. You just had to send the science fangirl into a laboratory, didn’t you? We’ll never pry her loose,” Vette groans. 

”Lord Wrath, can you tap into the consoles?”

”And read the data? You don’t have to ask me twice.” The Wrath sits down at one of the consoles and uplinks the database. “This is fascinating. Are you getting everything on your end?" 

”Yes. It’s a lot of information, but I’m not sure what I’m reading, with these formulas,” Lana says. 

“They’re altering molecular structures,” the Wrath explains. “Genetic manipulation, focusing specifically on DNA sequences that influence immune system functions and cellular regeneration. This isn’t a human gene map, though; there are way too many chromosomes. I’m guessing it might be Selkath. I don’t have a good feeling about this. I should keep moving, but if I look at this more later, I can perhaps figure out exactly what they’re trying to do.” 

”Excellent.” 

The Wrath fights her way deep into the heart of the Selkath research station. Lana’s voice is a welcome constant on the comlink, providing suggestions and data. When she’s in the lower labs, however, a male voice in her earpiece makes her stop short. 

”Hi, you don’t know me. My name’s Theron Shan, and I’m here with Lana. She’s meditating on her link to Darth Arkous to try to pinpoint his location. I’ll be giving you comm support for now…” 

”Excuse me?” 

”Lana’s meditating. She asked me if I could take over.” 

”And I’m supposed to believe that? What did you do to her?”

Theron pauses. “I know you don’t know me, but I’m not your enemy. Or Lana’s.” 

”I don’t know that. Not from here. I hope you’re right, but I want to talk to her for confirmation.” 

”She’s…” 

”Patch. Her. In,” the Wrath growls. In a matter of seconds, her voice has morphed from something polite and calm into a malevolent hiss. 

”Okay, fine, hang on, she’s right here. Lana? Sorry, but your friend wants to talk to you now, and she’s going all Sith on me.” 

”What's wrong, my lord? I was meditating.” Lana sounds annoyed. 

”You actually _were_ meditating?”

”Yes. What did you think was going on?”

”I don’t know your new ally, and I can’t sense your presence from this distance. For all I knew, he was an agent of Darth Arkous and he’d taken you hostage or cut your head off. Obviously, that isn’t the case.” The Wrath switches to Sith. "Are you absolutely sure that all is well?"

”I promise you, all is well," Lana replies in the same language. "You’ll meet Theron Shan when you’re back on the surface, and you’ll see that he's here to help, not harm. In the meantime, I do need to try to locate Darth Arkous. Can I please put Theron back on the comlink?” 

”Yes, of course,” the Wrath says. “Sorry about that, Theron Shan, was it? One can never be too careful.” 

”Understood,” Theron says. “Now, let’s get through the rest of this lab.” 

* 

Lana does find Darth Arkous…but he finds the Wrath. And when he does, he detonates a bomb, sending the entire research station into chaos. The Wrath looks around wildly for an exit as the lights flicker around her. 

“Have I ever told you I have a fear of being crushed to death in the ocean?” Vette mutters. 

On the surface, Lana and Theron are also searching wildly for an escape route for the Wrath. “They jettisoned all the escape pods,” Theron says grimly, reading the station’s data on his console. “Seems that they really don’t want your friend to survive. Hang on, the pods haven’t gone far. I can slave one and turn it around.” 

“Do whatever you need to do. She has to get out of there,” Lana says. 

”Let’s see if any of the security cameras are still working, so we can see where she is and help her find her way out. Ah, there we go, lower labs.” The Wrath’s image pops up on the screen. “Whoa. You didn’t mention that your friend was the Emperor’s Wrath!” 

”She’s helping investigate this. There shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Not at the moment, anyway,” Theron says, and clicks on the comlink. “Hey, you still there? You don’t have time to go back the way you came; the place is about to collapse. I slaved one of the escape pods, and I’m directing it to the closest docking bay. Sending you coordinates. _Run!_ ” 

“On our way,” the Wrath replies, just as the power levels begin to spike on Theron’s console. 

“Oh shit, no.” 

”What? Let me guess, you’ve got good news for me!” 

”Not unless you call an alpha cyborg good news. It’s coming right for you, and there’s no way past it. _Kill that thing fast!_ ”

Lana leans forward and watches the Wrath’s black and white image intently, trying to send strength through the screen. _You can do this, Viridana…I mean, Lord Wrath._ Watching the Wrath fight is intriguing in itself; she moves with deadly, graceful precision, mixing several lightsaber forms and jumping quickly from place to place before the cyborg can even react. But although she’s obviously going after the cyborg with everything she has, he’s repairing himself in a matter of seconds. 

“We’re not going to have time to defeat him,” the Wrath mutters. “He really _is_ self-repairing. Unless...” She Force pushes the cyborg back into one of the broken lab burners, which is spewing rings of fire across the floor, and he immediately begins to weaken. 

“Vette, herd him this way! I need him to follow me! Ahoy, creepy creature!” the Wrath yells, catching the cyborg’s attention. It lumbers toward her. “That’s it, right into the pretty orange circle, now…” 

The cyborg runs into the ring of fire, but then doubles back toward the Wrath. “Right. He wants to be my new best friend, doesn’t he? Guess I’ll have to stay with him, then.” The Wrath runs back into the circle of fire. When she stands stoically in the middle of the flames, the cyborg remains there too. 

“What are you doing?!” Lana shouts over the comlink.

”Quite obviously, I’m killing…the…cyborg.” The Wrath grits her teeth and channels the Force into a healing aura for herself as she runs into another pool of fire, the cyborg hot on her heels, but a small cry escapes her. 

”You’re doing it! He’s dying!” Theron yells, offering encouragement. "Keep it up!"

”Damn it, Theron, _she’s_ dying!” Lana shouts.

”I am not. Pain…isn’t…death,” the Wrath manages. The flames race through the cyborg faster than it is able to regenerate itself, and it finally falls. The Wrath immediately stumbles out of the fire circle and drops into the water flooding the lab, dousing her hands and face. 

”We can get you to the escape pod from here, but you really need to move,” Theron says. “A few more meters. You can do it. Go through that door on the right, and you’ll be in the docking bay. See it? Great. As the SIS would say, you’re in like Flynn. Not that I know who Flynn is.” 

“SIS?! You’re Republic.”

”And I’m saving your life. You got a problem with that?” Theron says defensively. 

”I don’t care if you’re a Hutt, if you can get us out of here.”

“The pod’s ready to go. Jump in and enjoy the ride. We’ll meet you at the surface.” Theron pauses. “Are you going to…need anything? Like a medic?”

”Some water would be nice,” The Wrath says. “I’m thirsty from all that heat.” 

”She’s asking for water. Oh, the irony,” Vette says. 

“I’ll make sure we’re well supplied. See you on the surface.” Theron waits until the escape pod launches, and then turns off the console and comlink. “Wow.” 

”Yes…’wow.’ She’s incredible. I don’t think anyone else would have made it out of there alive.” 

”Your friend isn’t just tough, she’s phenomenal,” Theron says. “But that’s not what I’m amazed about. I didn’t think Sith could care about each other so much.” 

”What? We're not made of stone, of course we can care about each other. Eschewing attachments is Jedi foolishness, not ours. I'm not sure why it's relevant here, though.” 

”I thought she was going to kill me through the comlink when I told her you were meditating. You should have heard it. She wouldn’t trust me; she refused to continue with the mission until she knew you were all right. And just now, when she was fighting that thing, I thought you were going to cry on me.” 

“We’re allies. I was concerned for her welfare.” 

Theron looks skeptical. “If you say so.” 

”What do you _think_ it is?”

”I assumed there was way more to it than that, actually,” Theron said. “Was I mistaken?” 

”Yes. No. I don’t…maybe. I…well, but…” 

”Ah. One of those.” Theron checks the console. “Well, the escape pod will be here in about ten minutes. I’d better dig up the water your friend…um…something…yes…no…um…maybe…asked for.” 

Lana sinks down into a chair and exhales as Theron leaves the room. _I sent her down there, where she could have died._ She turns on the comlink again to check on the escape pod. 

”Lord Wrath?” 

”She can’t talk right now,” Vette’s voice is sober. “No, she’s not dead or anything. She’s patched in, so she can hear you, but she's busy doing one of those meditation Force healing magic thingies where she glows a lot.” 

”Is she all right? Be honest.”

”I…she’s not going to be able to heal this all herself. Not right away.” 

”Of course I can, Vette! I’m a Sith, damn it!” the Wrath says angrily. 

”Oh and as you see, she needs a time out or a nap. She’s incredibly obnoxious when she’s hurt. And I’m trapped in an escape pod with her! Oh, joy!” 

“Hang in there, Vette. You’ll be on the surface in five minutes. May the Force serve you well with your healing, Lord Wrath. I won’t distract you right now.” Lana says, and shuts off the comlink again.


	6. On the Surface

As the pod reaches the surface, Lana’s bond with the Wrath asserts itself. She closes her eyes to dip into it, and is hit with a wall of blinding pain. When the door of the small vessel opens, Lana braces herself for what she’s going to see, and is shocked to witness the Wrath striding out on her own two feet. 

”How are you feeling?” 

”Fine,” the Wrath says, with a smile. “Is that water here?” Simultaneously, pain lashes across the bond. Her armor has been burned away in places, half of her hair has been singed off and her face is covered in blisters, but she’s apparently not about to let on that she’s hurt. 

"Yep. She's fine. A-OK. The best she's ever been," Vette rolls her eyes as they walk back into the office. "Apparently the fire got to her brain and made her think those burns are invisible."

"Vette, they're not that bad..." The Wrath insists, as she limps into the room.

"I can't even. Ms. Beniko, you're up. Have fun." Vette throws up her hands. 

”Theron went to find you something to drink. In the meantime, I do think you should sit,” Lana says. The Wrath shoots her an irritated look, but sits down in the nearest chair. “You _are_ in the company of another Sith, you know. Aside from the fact that you’re very visibly burned, I can feel that you’re hurt, even if you insist on lying about it.” 

”I don’t think that’s because you’re ‘another Sith,’ she can usually hide every—“ An especially harsh glare from the Wrath makes Vette stop mid-sentence. "Um…right. Anyway. I’m going to go see what’s happened to…what was his name? Never mind, I’ll just look for the guy who doesn’t resemble a fish. Watch out, Ms. Beniko. She’s being a brat.” Vette scurries out of the room. 

”I am not,” mutters the Wrath, as she closes her eyes. “And I’m not injured, for Force’s sake. There’s no need for anyone to fuss over me. It’s just a kriffing burn or two.”

”My lord, I’m sure you’re more than capable of dealing with this on your own, but I’d like to help you. I’m very skilled at Force healing,” Lana says, as delicately as she can. The Wrath opens one eye to look at her.

”Really? You’d do that for me?” 

”I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t sincere.” 

The Wrath tilts her head, takes another long look at Lana, and nods slowly. ”I would…appreciate that. Thank you.” 

Lana concentrates and hovers her hands above the Wrath’s head, not daring to touch her. Purple sparks turn into tendrils of power and travel down her body, soothing the burns. As Lana watches, the heat blisters on the Wrath’s face heal. When she opens her eyes again, she seems more like herself. 

“Purple? Nice. My healing aura is red. I was always so jealous of the acolytes who called up purple and blue.” 

Lana has to smile. “It’s a shame that one can’t decide on that, yes? I’m fond of purple now, but I hated it when I was younger. I always wanted green healing and lightning, myself.” 

”Huh. That’s my name,” says the Wrath.

”What do you mean?” 

”Viridana. It means ‘green’ in some ancient language. My parents were biochemists. I’m very fortunate they didn’t name me ‘Hydrogen’ or ‘Sleen’ or something. I wouldn't have put it past them. Does ‘Lana’ mean anything?” 

“Sleen Dragoi? That would have been truly awful,” says Lana, focusing her attention on the Wrath’s arms. The flames have melted through her armor, exposing singed skin. “For my name, there isn’t any deep meaning to it. Not that I know of, anyway. I think my parents just liked it.” 

”It’s a pretty name,” the Wrath says. A sigh escapes her. 

”Lord Wrath?” 

”Nobody’s ever offered to Force heal me before. It feels…nice. Different from what I can channel on my own.” 

”Are you serious? I would have thought...” Lana concentrates on the burns on the Wrath’s legs, which are visible through the holes in her armor. 

“I’m the Wrath. I’m expected to save, not to be saved. Vette and Pierce always carry kolto for me, but I used all of it up today.” The Wrath tips her head back against the chair and stares at the ceiling. “I maxed myself out channeling during the battle and the trip in the escape pod, or I’d be helping you right now.” 

”There’s no need. Since I got you into this mess, I’ll do what I can to mend you. I’m truly sorry. I never would have sent you down there if I’d had any idea it would turn out so badly.” 

”Darth Arkous does seem to think you’ve led me astray,” the Wrath says, with a devilish smile. “Don’t look so sad; I don’t think you have. Safety isn't exactly an expectation in my line of work. And this isn’t the worst battle I’ve had. It wasn’t easy, I won’t minimize that, but I’ve faced worse.” 

”Such as? Let me see your hand.” The Wrath holds up her right hand – which has lost its glove and bracer- for Lana to heal. “The Dread Masters, maybe?” 

”Oh, no. They were essentially one-trick banthas. Once you learned to resist their fear projections – and I figured that out within five minutes of my first meeting with them - they went down very simply.”

”Is that all?” Lana says wryly. "Can I see your other hand, now?" 

”I know, I know, but it really was easy for me. The sheer number of the followers they'd driven to madness, and the way they kept tossing their fear projections around, _those_ were issues, but they, themselves? They weren't a problem. Oh, and they had to announce who they were every five seconds, as though everyone had somehow forgotten in that span of time. 'We are the Dread Masters!' Well, thanks for sharing, guys. It's not as though your funny hats didn't tip me off."

Lana can't help herself. She laughs and laughs, enough to break her concentration for a moment. "You are awful, you know that?"

"Part of my innate charm," the Wrath says cheerfully. "You did ask me a question, though...I’m trying to think of ones that _were_ hard. Oh, here’s one: I had to fight a reflection of myself, once, at this oasis in Tatooine. She obviously anticipated every move I made and responded as well as I did, which made it relatively impossible to get the jump on her. I actually didn’t defeat her; we finally made our peace and she rejoined me. That was for the best. 

”On Belsavis, I got caught in a Rakata spirit trap. Escaping from that was sticky. As much as I like Rakata art, their Force work is nasty stuff, and since we don't have a chance to study it much, it takes a little while to catch on to what's required. Darth Malgus wasn’t very much fun. He nearly threw me over a railing. And, let's see, how can I forget…the slugs on Korriban, the first time I was there.” 

”The slugs?! But they’re so simple to kill.” 

” _Now_ they are. Would you have said the same during your first month on Korriban? I’d never seen anything like that. I had a measly warblade, not a lightsaber, and I hadn’t completed my training, so I wasn’t especially confident. And in every tomb I walked through, I saw the half-devoured corpses of the acolytes who had come before me, wearing the same uniform I was in, and those dreadful slugs. I was terrified.” 

Lana contemplates her words. “That’s true. I couldn’t fight the slugs particularly well when I first got to the Academy. I...thought I was going to die every single day when I was on Korriban. It was nothing like Upper or Lower.” 

”So did I. Interesting thing, when I think about it: when I liberated Korriban, it was incredibly cathartic, on a personal level.” 

”I can see that it would have been,” Lana says quietly. “It’s a pity I couldn’t join you. I could have used the same catharsis.” 

”Yes, it is. You would have gotten to meet the Jedi…who was also a soldier!” 

”I don’t know how I’ll ever live with myself, after missing that,” Lana says with a laugh. “I think I’ve done what I can for you. I can’t repair your hair, but the rest of you should feel better now.” 

”Much better. Thank you. And no, I’m not lying to you this time.” As the Wrath smiles gently at Lana, their bond sparks again. 

"I know you're not," Lana replies, returning the smile. The Wrath's Force signature is currently exuding far less pain, and far more…contentment…than it had before, and is pulling even more strongly toward Lana.

"It's curious, isn't it? You seem to know me, and I, you."

”I did feel that you were hurting considerably, and yes, I sense you're much improved now," Lana says quietly. “This connection of ours…we should really talk about it, you know. I...don't mind it. But we should discuss it.” 

”I agree,” the Wrath says. “I don't mind it either – “ 

”Knock knock! Hydration's in the house!” Vette announces, coming through the doorway with a bottle of water in her hands. “Mr. SIS here got lost. I found him.” 

”Well done, Vette,” says the Wrath, grabbing the water. She stands up – much more easily, Lana notes – to greet their new ally. 

”Theron Shan, SIS.” 

”Viridana Dragoi, Emperor’s Wrath,” the Wrath says, in the same serious tone of voice. “Thank you for the save. I do prefer being alive, so I’m grateful you got us out of there.” 

”I never did think I’d see the day where I’d be saving the Emperor’s Wrath, much less greeting her,” Theron says. “You’re not going to try to kill me, are you? You’re not Jedi, and I’ve seen what that lightsaber can do.” 

”No, we’re not Jedi, and I thank the Force for that blessing. But if either of us wanted you dead, it would have happened already.” The Wrath pauses. “We appear to have a common goal, and I do not turn my back on those who have helped me. We’re not enemies. We're allies now.”

”This is a day of surprises,” Theron says. 

”It’s what I do best,” the Wrath says. 

”Another surprise: Theron and I have been able to share our intel, and the databases you uplinked from the laboratory have answered many questions for us. It appears that Darth Arkous and his Republic ally are working for the Revanites,” Lana says. 

”You’re kidding me. I was expecting something…I don’t know. Deadly. I tangled with the Revanites on Dromund Kaas once. They were a bunch of weirdos living in the jungle. They were certainly eccentric, but fairly harmless, with very few resources.” 

“Not anymore. Their entire angle has changed, and they seek to destroy the established governments. They apparently have many resources at their disposal now. as well. At least one top ranking Republic official is on their side. Through Darth Arkous’s involvement, we know there’s at least one Dark Council member, as well.” 

”Thus, I can’t trust my people, and Lana can’t trust hers. Present company excepted, of course,” Theron adds. 

”And their plans include an army of genetically modified cyborgs, apparently.” The Wrath puts her hands on her hips. “Do we have enough leads to go forward?” 

“We may, but for the time being, I think that we should concentrate on getting out of here. Since Darth Arkous just attempted an act of high treason – killing the Wrath would be second only to killing the Emperor, Theron – I can’t think that he would have any reservations about attacking us if he found us here. I suggest we all get off-world. We can regroup later,” Lana says. 

”That sounds like the best idea,” the Wrath agrees. “There’s a bed on my ship that’s calling my name right now. Agent Shan, it’s been a pleasure not killing you. Ms. Beniko…I hope to talk to you again soon.” 

”You’ve done well here, as expected,” Lana says, staring into the Wrath's eyes. "Without a doubt, we’ll speak soon. We have much to talk about. In the meantime...be well.”

* 

Lana is weary as she returns to her shuttle, hidden on the far side of the Welcome Center. The Wrath has already taken off in her starship, and Theron Shan has vanished as quietly as he’d emerged. 

_Danger. Someone’s here._

”Well, hello there, Lana.” Darth Arkous steps out from the shadow of her shuttle, and Lana’s hand instantly goes to her lightsaber. 

”There’s no need for that, my dear advisor,” Arkous says, with a cold smile. “I’m not here to kill you. Just to relieve you of your duties. Since we’ve worked together for so long, I thought I’d give you the…courtesy…of telling you in person. As you may have already anticipated, I will not be requiring your services as advisor anymore.” 

”You tried to kill the Emperor’s Wrath. That will not go unpunished. And whatever you’re planning with the Revanites, it will not succeed.” 

”On the contrary, Lana. It is already closer to succeeding than you could ever imagine. You can’t stop us. I would suggest that you don’t try, if you’d enjoy staying alive a bit longer.” Arkous paces the launch pad, his hands clasped behind his back. “It’s a pity, really. You could have been a superior Revanite asset. It’s why I invited you to be my advisor, you know. I was grooming you for greater things.”

”I have no interest in joining a cult or betraying the Empire. I am a Sith.” 

”Ah, Lana, is that all you see in the Revanites? Such a shame. Especially since you seem to be…dare I say it, more enlightened than other Sith. You know that one can embrace both the Dark Side and the Light, because you do. The same is true with your friend, actually. It would have been glorious to wield her in Revan’s name.” 

”The Sith Code does not stop us from using the Force as we wish," Lana says. "One can believe that without following Revan. As for the Wrath, I strongly doubt she would be interested in betraying the Empire, either.” 

”No, I don’t believe she would be. You have her to thank for your dismissal, though. I was actually planning on confiding in you after the assaults on the academies were carried out, and drawing you into the fold. Your next assignment was to have been your Revanite initiation trial, in fact. The Wrath changed that. It was my folly, bringing her into the plan to attack Tython. The moment you met her, your fate was sealed."

”Ridiculous.” 

”Is it, Lana? Look deep into yourself. You value the truth, and yet you deny this one. You even stand differently when she’s in the room. The two of you have an unshakable connection, and together, you were perceptive enough to see things for what they were. ”

”In other words, we saw through you.” 

”Indeed, although it won’t help either of you, in the long run. And this conversation is becoming most tiresome, I’m afraid. I’d get moving if I were you, Lana Beniko.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thing about the meaning of 'Viridana' is true...and I didn't know it when I named her. So my Sith Warrior's name means 'green,' and that appears to be both Lana's favorite color and original eye color. Coincidence, or destiny? :)
> 
> I have a tumblr! I have no idea what to actually do with it, but I can be visited at: rainofaugustsith.tumblr.com


	7. A Real Dialogue, Again

**Viri**

”You two are exasperating, you know that? All that, ‘Oh, the Force is so _strong_ with you…’ and ‘Yes, I hope we will talk soon,’ ridiculous posturing, and then nothing…you have no idea how much I've wanted to grab you both by the shoulders and start shaking.” Vette peers at the starship’s console. “We’ll be there in a few minutes. Is that enough time for you to find some courage?” 

Lana Beniko has asked to see the Wrath in the Fleet cantina again, so Viri and Vette are en route to the Spacedock. Viri has spent the entire trip pacing, biting her nails and nervously swinging her lightsaber at a practice droid. 

“She might not even like women,” Viri insists. 

”Oh, _come on._ She likes you." 

”I just don’t see it.” 

”You can sense each other's emotions, Viri. You can't be serious." 

"Vette, this is tough."

Vette heaves an exasperated sigh. “You can stand up to Darth Malgus, and confront Darth Dummy in front of the entire Dark Council without breaking a sweat, but _this_ \- letting another human being know you are attracted to them - is beyond you?! Have we finally found the one challenge you can’t face?”

“Vette, what do you want out of me?”

”What do _you_ want? This isn’t about me.” 

”I don’t know.” Viri puts her hands on her hips and looks at the floor. “Look, Vette, I don’t usually feel this way about anyone. In fact…I never have. There’s a connection there I don’t understand. I really like her. _I don’t know what to do._ All right? Are you happy now? The mighty Wrath admitted weakness.”

”You admitted no such thing,” Vette says, grabbing her hand. “You’re confused. You like her enough that it would upset you if your feelings were not returned. But I don’t think you need to worry about that. I have a very strong suspicion that she is genuinely into you. Can I be honest, Viri?” 

”You mean this isn’t honesty already? Say what’s on your mind, Vette.” 

”I’ve known you for what, five years now? I’ve never once seen anyone turn your head, even when they were virtually jumping up and down in front of you to get your attention. This is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone interest you. I’m baffled as to why you’re not going to explore that.” 

“I don’t know.” 

Vette lowers her voice. “If you don’t mind my asking, is this about...a lack of experience in certain things? Are you worried because you've never...?” 

”Waaaaaay off the mark.” Viri looks pointedly out the window at the approaching spaceport as her cheeks turn red. “You’d be surprised if I gave you the number of people I’ve been with, in fact. Both men and women. In Korriban it was too dangerous, but at Upper and Lower Academy, we all experimented quite a bit. Especially in Lower. Lots of fit eighteen and nineteen year olds, some of whom are away from home for the first time, encouraged to follow their passions…you get the idea.” Viri frowns as she remembers the roughness and pain that some of the other acolytes had preferred. 

“So why haven’t you ever wanted to, er, pursue your passions now?” 

”After I’d satisfied my own curiosity, I realized that it didn’t mean very much to me. I found that I need something deeper to even be attracted to someone. Something I can feel in the Force. I’m not into romance. It leaves me cold. There’s something…profound that is necessary, and I’ve never found it.” 

”You always surprise me, Viri,” Vette says. “That’s deep. But are you sure this isn’t your connection? I don’t feel the Force, I make no bones about that. But there’s something in the way you two interact which seems very different to me.” 

”I don’t know, Vette.” Viri looks away again. “It _is_ different. Very much so. We Sith have emotional walls for our own safety, but I have a rapport with her that completely overrides that. But…” 

”Yes or no question: are you attracted to her on any level? Friend, lover, meditation partner, whatever?”

” _Yes,_ Vette.” 

“Second yes or no question: You’ve been around a lot of horrible people who have wanted to hurt you. Do you think she’s one of them?” 

”No. I do not.” 

"Third question: Would you like anything to happen with her, or would you prefer to keep pining this way?"

"I...can't even tell you how much I want something to happen with her." Viri blushes again. 

“Then what’s the problem here? I know you’re worried. But I’ve seen you fight more monsters than any person should, and you’re still standing here. Worst case scenario, she runs away screaming. You’ll still survive.” 

”Vette, I…” Viri sighs as the ship glides into the landing dock. 

Vette turns to stare at her. "...I get it now. You're truly afraid. Wow. I don't know why you're so scared, but you are, and you don't exactly scare easily." She locks the console and stands up, and they walk to the elevator in silence. As the doors open on the main level of the Spacedock, Vette turns to her again. 

”Look. I’m going shopping. You do your thing. But you might want to consider what scares you more: being honest with this woman, or potentially missing out on something that might make you incredibly happy.” Vette walks away, her lekku swinging jauntily behind her. Viri swallows hard and ambles in the opposite direction, toward the cantina. 

*

**Lana**

Lana paces around her shuttle once, twice, three times, before she summons enough strength to approach the door. When she does, her hand freezes on the lock. She shakes her head and walks around the ship again. 

_This shouldn’t be so difficult. You’re just going to discuss your findings. She’s always been perfectly polite to you. Friendly, even. It’s not as though she’s going to be…well, wrathful. She seems to like you._

Lana walks around the shuttle yet again, reasoning with herself. _You could use a friend. No, you really could. She’s shown up every time you’ve asked her to. She’s answered your emails. You trust her enough to tell her what’s happening. So what is scaring you so much?_

_You want to kiss her. That’s what’s scaring you. You haven’t been with anyone since…just after Academy._ That _was physical. This? This is something different. This is way beyond that._

Lana sits down in the captain’s chair and puts her head in her hands. _We have some sort of open affinity. It’s intense. I don’t know where that will lead. If I’m honest with myself…Darth Arkous was right; she’s tied to my fate now. I don’t know how or why, but she is._

_So?_

_So, I don’t know what to do._

She closes her eyes, centers herself in the Force and reaches for the door of the shuttle. _At any rate, I can’t stand her up. We need to save the Empire and all._

* 

**Viri and Lana**

Viri’s mind races, and her worrying increases exponentially, as she waits for Lana to appear in the cantina. When she feels Lana approaching – that familiar pull on her Force signature – she exhales with relief. Lana spots her immediately this time, even though she’s sitting in a far corner of the room. She's in another simple set of robes - purple and white today - and she's managed to get her hair into a decent bun, despite having half of it singed off in Manaan. 

”I was about to send out a search party,” Viri says, smiling slightly. Lana blushes. 

”Sorry, I had to confirm a few things before I came here."

“I think I need to apologize to you,” the Wrath says. “It sounds as though I cost you your job.”

Lana shakes her head. “It wasn’t a job worth having, if he planned to induct me into a cult and use me to overthrow the Empire.” 

”Still.” 

”You have nothing to apologize for, Wrath. If anything, our connection helped me trust my instincts about Arkous’s intentions.” 

”Yes, it does seem that way.” 

They sit. They talk business. After what they’ve learned on Manaan, there’s much to discuss. An hour slips by, and then another, and another. 

”The Revanite order as it once existed is no longer. They no longer seek to change the Empire from within. A pity, really. Their pragmatism was anathema to the Empire, but there was something appealing about it.” 

”You should know,” the Wrath says, hesitantly, “I was once made a Revanite. I was undercover at the time, and I obviously used a false name, so it was not exactly a sincere expression on my part, but I did pass their initiation. While I had no desire to actually join them, like you, I felt that some of their ideas…were not objectionable. Those who seek to label the Force, instead of using all it can offer us, seem a bit narrow-minded to me.” 

The Wrath exudes both Dark and Light energy, and it somehow does not surprise Lana that she’s explored the Revanites. ”I don't disagree with you there, as you might have already ascertained. The Force is the Force, and it serves us in the way we need. As far as the Revanites are concerned, however, after crossing Darth Arkous, I doubt your membership stands,” she replies. 

”Oh, considering I killed Revan in the Foundry, I think they would have booted me long before that,” the Wrath says. "But the point remains. They’ve transformed from a rather benign group into something that is extremely dangerous. They’ve already disrupted both Sith and Jedi training by going after the academies, and we know that they are trying to build a rather frightening army. Where and when are they planning to use it?” 

”That’s the pressing question, isn’t it? Before Darth Arkous dismissed me, I was going through as many files as I could. He was checking hyperspace routes, deliveries of isotope-5, activities of other Dark Council members…many things, all at once. And I’ve not yet ascertained why he wanted those Rakatan artifacts from the Jedi Temple.” 

The Wrath rests her head in her hands. “Something about the Rakata, and the Order of Shasa..." The blood drains from her face and she looks straight at Lana. "Oh, no. I've just realized why that was nagging at me. Both of those groups, what do they have in common?"

Lana goes pale as she picks up on the Wrath's train of thought. "They don't use the Force like Jedi or Sith. That's it, isn't it?"

"Exactly. The Shasa didn't trouble me much, but it took work to figure out how to escape from that Rakata soul trap on Belsavis, because they had Force binding spells I'd never even heard of, much less faced. If the Revanites have an army that uses Rakatan Force tools, neither the Sith nor the Jedi would be adept at fighting it. We both know that some of us think outside of the box and use all of the Force, but even with that...it's a different doctrine. It could easily take out a lot of strong Force users very quickly."

"And Darth Arkous tried to kill you without thinking twice, so I wouldn't put it past him to go after the Dark Council with those creatures," Lana rubs her forehead.

"We need to get rid of that army before it can get to the Empire."

"I agree completely. We might want to keep an eye on Belsavis, in case Arkous goes slinking around there for more resources. As you know, it’s crawling with Rakata temples and tombs, and at least some of their tech is still active," Lana says.

"I have full security clearance for Belsavis, in case we need to drop in there. I actually have one of their transporters at my home in Nar Shaddaa.” 

“Where does it take you?” Lana asks. 

”Nowhere, actually. The ‘transport’ part is broken. But it’s very soothing to watch the lightning go in circles.” 

”You could come back to Dromund Kaas, if you want lightning,” Lana laughs. 

”You keep trying to steer me to DK, don’t you?” the Wrath says with a smile. “Let me guess, you live there?” 

”Of course,” Lana says. “I need to stay close to the Spacedock and the Citadel.”

"One of these days you're going to visit me in Nar Shaddaa, and we'll go dancing."

"I can't dance, my lord."

"Oh."

They discuss housing. Décor. Books. Weather. The only thing that is left unsaid is the one they both actually want to talk about. Neither can summon the bravery to do so, even though the bond is lashing through their Force signatures, demanding to be noticed. 

“Well, I think we’ve covered everything,” Lana finally says. The chrono on the wall reads 0400, and they’ve been there all night. “I’ll keep my eyes open. If I, or our ally, discover anything new, I’ll be in touch. Be vigilant.” She hesitates, and summons every iota of courage she has. “Is…there anything else you wanted to discuss?” 

Silence. Lana rises from her chair to leave, disappointed. 

“Wait! There is something.” The Wrath stands up and takes a deep breath. ”I think I’m warming up to you… _Lana._ ” 

Lana inwardly shivers. Her name, in the Wrath’s voice, sounds like a kiss. Her eyes lock on the Wrath’s, and her stomach warms as she sees that they’re holding what appears to be a mixture of hope, longing…and complete uncertainty. And as Lana gently dips into the bond, she realizes, all at once, that the Wrath is just as terrified as she is. 

_She was brave. I will be, too._ ”It’s mutual. I didn’t know if I should bring it up, but…I’ve missed you,” Lana says. _Relief. Hope._

Lana doesn’t even realize she’s drawing close to the Wrath…no, _Viri_ …until their hands are clasped. _Electricity. Want. Need._ She’s shaking, and Viri is, too. Neither of them can speak. Lana looks at their joined hands, and something breaks within her. Viri’s Force signature is spinning more emotions than she can even count, and a thousand thoughts race through her own mind and soul. 

_I want it's too much too much too much I don’t understand yes no keep touching her but…_

”I have to go,” Lana says, keeping her gaze on her hands. “There’s much to do. I’ll be thinking of you…Viri.” She feels – doesn’t see, but _feels_ – Viri’s nod; feels how reluctantly she steps back. 

”So will I,” Viri says softly. “Stay safe.”


	8. Rakata Prime

The sun is bright on the beach on Rakata Prime. _Too_ bright, Lana Beniko thinks to herself, using her arm to shield her face from the glare.

”Sith don’t get much sun, do they?” Theron snickers behind her.

"It rains every single day in Dromund Kaas and up until now I’ve been working on a space station,” Lana shrugs. “So no, I don’t get much sun. But Korriban is bright. Not like this, but it’s a desert planet.” ”

I’d love to see Korriban sometime,” Theron says. “Not to plunder it or anything, just to take a look around. Assuming I wouldn’t get my head cut off the moment I stepped out of the shuttle.”

”That might be a tall order,” Lana chuckles. “Even non-Sith Imperials usually aren’t allowed on Korriban. You’re better off staying on Tython.” “

"Who cares!” Jakarro, their new Wookiee ally, roars. “When are we going to move?!”

”We’re going,” Viri mutters. “Give me a minute. I’m trying to memorize the map.” She and Vette are crouched in the sand with the schematics of the Temple of the Ancients in front of them. Lana and Theron’s research has led them here, to Rakata Prime. As they’d suspected, Darth Arkous and his Republic ally are heavily invested in Rakatan technology; the surprise has been following them to Rakata Prime, and not Belsavis.

”Just take it with you!” Jakarro storms.

”I have every intention of doing so,” the Wrath says patiently. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to have time to look at it. Ever dealt with the Rakata? Their tech is incredibly complicated, their tombs and temples are full of traps, and going left instead of right in this place could mean the difference between keeping your head or losing it. So give me a damn minute.”

”Why don’t you and C2-D4 start ahead?” Lana suggests. “You can clear the path for the Wrath and Vette.”

”Wonderful, we’re all going to die because the Wookiee can’t be patient! Wonderful!” C2 chirps, as Jakarro vanishes into the brush.

“I think we’re good, actually,” the Wrath says, as she rises from the sand and stows her datapad.

”Theron and I will be monitoring you from Jakarro’s ship and providing as much support as we can,” Lana says.

”One of these days, you’re going to actually come on a mission and fight alongside me, you know,” the Wrath says, and locks eyes with Lana. “I have a feeling you’d be fierce out there.”

”I might be,” Lana smiles, “And it would be an honor to fight alongside you. But I’ll have to refuse that for now. You need both Theron and me to guide you through this one. As you said yourself, the Rakata are nothing to be trifled with.”

”True enough,” the Wrath says, turning toward the thick trees of the jungle. “I’m sure we’ll talk soon.”

”May the Force serve you well,” Lana says. The Wrath smiles at her, and vanishes into the brush.

*

The Rakata who have survived and remained on the planet have lost the technological advantages of their ancestors, but they’re still bloodthirsty, hostile combatants. The Wrath and Vette clear a path through the jungle, and then through the Rakata village, without much difficulty, but they're forced to dispatch countless Rakatans along the way. 

”Look at that beautiful blue water…” Viri sighs, as they turn away from the shore and head toward the temple grounds.

”Yeah, aside from the crashed starships, the murderous Rakata tribespeople and the venomous animals, it’s just lovely here. Sign me up for a vacation!” Vette quips. “Oh, look. A rancor. And a furious Rakata chief. How sweet. I suppose they’re our tour guides?”

“Vette, I am not multi-tasking this one! Just take out the damn rancor and then we can worry about Chuckles over there!”

“Oh, right, of course. Take out the rancor. Easy as pie.” Despite Vette’s protestations, the rancor does eventually fall, and the Wrath turns her attention to the Rakata chief. In his impatience, he has begun throwing fire bombs at the two women.

“More fire? Oh, come on, my hair’s just started growing back! Damn it, Chuckles!”

“Why is she calling that Rakatan warrior ‘chuckles’?” Theron asks Lana, as he listens to the conversation on the comlink. 

”I’ve learned not to question these things,” Lana says, with a smile. “It works. That’s all that matters.” 

*

Darth Arkous is waiting for the Wrath at the landing pad at the summit of the temple, his hands clasped behind his back; his eyes closed. He seems resigned to the inevitable confrontation as the Wrath, Vette and Jakarro approach him.

”Your interruptions are…regrettable, Wrath,” Arkous says. “All this effort to try to stop us, and you haven’t a clue what you’re interfering with. You, Lana…you were nothing but pawns. Important pawns, but pawns nonetheless.”

”Hang on, let me get my head around this: you’re on the Dark Council, and you use and manipulate skilled people to further your goals? I don’t know how I’m ever going to cope with this knowledge. I’m shocked, I tell you. Shocked.” The Wrath pretends to wring her hands. “If you think this is some sort of surprise, Arkous, you’re more pompous and out of touch than I thought you were. We’re all used, one way or another, no matter what title we hold. Even you are being used, by whomever is pulling your strings with the Revanites.” Viri shifts her lightsaber in her hand.

“The Wrath gets philosophical. My, my.”

”I always have been. You’ve just been too busy piling false praise on me to notice. Regardless, let’s get to business. You have two options here, Arkous. You know very well that if I kill you, the Dark Council will not cross me. You also know that if you try to fight me, you’ll lose. I didn’t get my title by giving out hugs. You can come along quietly for questioning, or I can destroy you. What’s it going to be?”

”Always so arrogant, with such lust for violence, Wrath. I have no intention of cooperating with you. I also have no intention of being killed. I have backup here.” Arkous smiles as the door behind him slides open, revealing the Republic Colonel, Darok. “We’ll settle this here and now, and put a permanent end to your perpetual interruptions.”

”If you could see that what we’re doing is for the good of the galaxy, you wouldn’t try to stop us. But you can’t see. You’ll just have to die,” snarls Darok.

“So instead of a Jedi who’s also a soldier, we have a Sith _and_ a soldier. Oh, happy day,” mutters Vette.

“As you wish, Arkous. It’s your funeral.” Viri turns to Jakarro and Vette. ”Jakarro, take Darok. Vette, cover him. I don’t care if the ‘pub dies, but we’ll try to take Arkous alive.” She barely has time to finish her sentence before Arkous blasts her with a round of Force lightning.

”Oh, lovely, he’s one of those damned sorcerers. My afternoon keeps improving by the second,” Viri growls, rolling her eyes as she deflects the attack. She summons the Force and blows Arkous to the other side of the clearing, smacking him into the side of the building. He peels himself off the wall and launches himself back at her.

“You think you’ll walk away from this?” Darkok snarls, although it’s already clear that Jakarro and Vette have the better of him. 

”No, I know we will,” answers Viri, as Darok falls. “Jakarro, Vette, pay attention to Arkous. If you see him channeling again, don’t think and don’t worry about me, just get clear of it.” Arkous becomes even more enraged, resisting all Viri’s efforts to subdue him. It quickly becomes clear that he’s fighting to the death, and that the Wrath has exactly one option, if she wants to end the battle.

As Viri lands the killing blow, up in Jakarro’s ship, Lana clutches at the console and closes her eyes in pain. Viri does the same, stumbling forward as though she had been punched in the gut. When her holo rings, it takes her a few seconds to answer.

”Viri? What just happened?” Theron says, nervously. “I heard you cry out, and Lana is literally doubled over in pain.”

“Oh, that. Hate it when that happens. When a person who is very strong in the Force dies, other Force users often feel it. It’s some sort of gruesome echo. It’s far more severe if you know them, so I’d imagine that Lana had a worse time than I did.”

”Yeah, I’d say so,” Theron says. Lana’s still crumpled into a ball in her chair.

”I’m here,” Lana gasps. “I felt his passing, yes. This is…most unfortunate.”

”Why did you have to kill them both, damn it?!” Theron rages. “They were our best chance of exposing the Revanites!”

”Look. I did what I could, and I’m sure you heard me instructing my team to try to take Arkous alive, but they were both fighting to the death. It was going to be me or Arkous, and I can assure you, if Arkous had survived, he would not have cooperated.”

“She’s right, Theron,” Lana says quietly. “They were never going to cooperate with us.”

”Well, it limits our options now,” Theron grumbles, resting his head on the console. “Hang on…” The scanner has begun to light up with a virtual armada of warships. “Capital ships. I don’t know if they’re yours, or ours, but one of them is dropping in for a visit!” The warship is armed to the teeth, but to the Wrath’s surprise, they merely beam a holo-projection onto the battlefield.

”Revan.” The Wrath whispers the word as the image comes into focus.

”You have to be kidding me,” Lana says over the comlink. “Please tell me you didn’t just say Darth Revan was there.”

”In the flesh. Holographically speaking.”

”Hello, Wrath.” Revan seems almost amused.

”You’re looking awfully good for a corpse, Revan,” the Wrath says. “A bit rude of you to come back again after I went to so much trouble to kill you.”

Revan actually laughs, but the sound is sinister as it echoes through the temple grounds. “So much you don’t understand, Wrath. And yet, I actually like you.”

“I’m trying to decide if that’s a good or a bad thing.”

”It’s an inconsequential one, since you need to be erased from my world. I’m not going to get the Infinite Army I wanted so much, which is unfortunate. The loss of Arkous and Darok – also unfortunate, although, as you said so astutely, they were just tools for the greater cause. But your interruption has given me the opportunity to dispose of you. I would have needed to take care of that eventually, but you’ve come right to me, making my job ever so much easier. You have no place in the galaxy I wish to create. Goodbye, Wrath.” The ship’s turbo-lasers lock onto the Wrath and begin firing.

”Get out of there, now!” Theron screams.

”We can’t reach you in Jakarro’s ship,” Lana says, desperately. “Arkous’s shuttle should still be there. The hangar should be close. Go!” The sounds of the laser cannons are deafening even through the comlink, and the Wrath has stopped speaking. “Wrath – Viri – are you there?!”

”Hang on. Vette just fainted. I was dealing with that. I’ve got her, and we’re in the shuttle --No, I’m not letting you pilot, Wookiee. Sit the hell down and stop shouting at me -- Right. We’re taking off. We’ll see you at the meeting point.”

Lana puts her head in her hands. ”She got away. Thank the Force.”

*

In the span of the hour it takes Viri, Vette and Jakarro to return to Manaan, all hell breaks loose in both the Empire and Republic. By the time their shuttle has landed in a concealed spot behind the Welcome Center, Lana has discovered that the Empire she thought she knew has been erased from her own world.

“It’s good to see you,” she says, putting on a smile as the Wrath and her team walk into the office. Viri’s brow wrinkles – she’s picked up on Lana’s distress.

”I’m glad to see you made it out of there,” Theron adds. “I’m sorry we couldn’t do more for you from the ship. Where’s your friend? Is she all right?”

”You told me where the shuttle was. That was all we needed. Thank you. As for Vette, she’ll be fine, but I’ve sent her back to my ship to rest. I didn’t think she needed the debrief.” Viri’s eyes flick from Lana to Theron, and back again. “Both of you are looking extremely upset, and you’re not telling me why.”

”I’m going to let Lana fill you in,” Theron says, and turns to leave. “Come on, Jakarro. Lana, when you’re done here, we should start thinking of backwaters to hide out in.”

As the door closes, Viri turns to Lana. “I can feel your anguish, Lana. Tell me what’s wrong. Please.” 

“Theron has been disavowed by the SIS. Jakarro has had twelve death sentences placed on him. And I…the Empire has placed a bounty on my head for the murder of Darth Arkous. They’ve frozen everything. My bank account, my Holonet, my access to the mainframe, it’s all gone. My shuttle…I’d be foolish to try to use it now. All I have left is what’s on this datapad, and the clothes on my back. Everything I’ve done to serve the Empire apparently means nothing.” Lana’s voice is laced with pain.

“I’m sorry, Lana,” Viri says softly. “I’ll get Darth Marr on the holo right now. We’ll clear your name. I’ll be happy to tell them I killed Arkous. It’s unlikely they’ll do a thing to me, lest they anger the Emperor. Even if he’s…a bit out of the picture right now…the Council is still afraid of him.”

”No, Viri. I appreciate that, I do, but it’s not that simple. The Revanites have just demonstrated that they have even more influence than we’d thought. Whoever was on that ship with Revan was able to get all this organized in the span of an hour. We think you’re untouchable, but for all we know, Marr is a part of it and would order you to be executed if there’s any solid confirmation of your involvement in this. I doubt it, but I can’t be sure, and neither can you. Since I sent you on the mission, they could still blame me. We can’t clear my name until we expose the Revanites. We can’t expose them until we know who to expose.” 

"Kriffing hell.” The Wrath shakes her head. “What, then?”

“The way forward is clear. Theron, Jakarro and I will go underground until we have enough evidence to present.” 

”I’ll go along. I’ll protect you." 

Lana shakes her head sadly. “You’re the closest thing the Empire has to a soul, Viri. Without you they’ll forget themselves. You need to stay here. Be yourself, but be vigilant. And above all…do not try to contact me. Either through the usual channels or…the one we share.” The words hang heavy in the air between them as pain sparks through their connection.

”I wish you didn’t have to go,” Viri says, finally.

”It won’t be easy for me either. Just know I’ll be thinking of you.” Lana reaches out, tentatively, to give Viri a hug. Immediately, Viri returns the embrace. She holds Lana close, cradled within her strong arms, for a long moment as emotions flash across their bond. _Comfort. Desire. Stay. Safe here._

“I should get going,” Lana says softly, as she steps back. “I’ll…hopefully see you soon.” 

“Wait. I just thought of something. I always have a fair amount of liquid assets and survival supplies on my ship, just in case I can’t get home for a while,” Viri says. “Let me give them to you.”

”Viri, I can’t take your credits.”

”You can’t, or you don’t want to? I wouldn’t, if the tables were turned. I get it. But there are three of you who are going to need sustenance. You’re going to need to be able to hide, and bribe people to stay hidden, and get the resources and supplies you need, and it’s not as though you’ll be able to get to your own bank accounts or casually get a job somewhere. You will need untraceable credits. I can help you with that, even if I cannot accompany you. I can afford it.”

”I appreciate that. But…”

”If it’s uncomfortable on a personal level, look at it this way: you’re doing all this to protect the Empire. I’m the Wrath, so it’s my duty to help you in that mission any way I can. If you were officially working undercover for the Empire they’d give you some credits to play with, wouldn’t they?” Viri’s eyes flash and she crosses her arms. “Don’t make me pull rank and order this. Because I _will,_ Lana Beniko. Just take it…as a friend.”

“All right. Thank you. It will be a help, I can’t deny that.” Viri nods and summons Vette on the comlink. “Vette, I need you to grab all of the medi-kits for me. No questions, just bring them here…quickly. No need to ask anyone else for help with it.”

”I hate to ask you this, but is Vette trustworthy?”

”I’d trust Vette with my life, and then some,” Viri says. “No need to worry there. As far as the rest of my team is concerned, all they know is that I’m on Manaan, and I don’t plan to elaborate. They’re accustomed to my going off on missions I can’t talk about, so they probably won’t even ask about today. I wish I could help you more, though,” Viri mutters, pacing the room again. “This is nothing. You’re going out there and…”

”It is as it needs to be, right now,” Lana says. “I don’t like it any more than you do.” She and Viri both jump when there’s a knock at the door.

“Here I am,” Vette says, wheeling a cart of kolto barrels into the room.

”Vette, we don’t need kolto,” Lana frowns.

“Yes, you do. It’s special kolto,” Viri says with a wink. “There should be about three million credits there. All gold; no serial numbers. There are also some gemstones, for the Outer Rim planets where Imperial credits don’t mean much. They’re all real, so don’t let some unscrupulous Hutt tell you they’re fake. It should keep you going for a while. And this canister here has nutrient tablets; this one has soap and toiletries – I know they’ll be my style, not yours, but they’re better than nothing – and this has an actual medi-kit. It should be complete; there’s even universal synthetic blood there, if you need it. Which I hope you won’t. The only thing you don’t have here, when I think of it…is kolto. No, wait, there should be some injectors in the medi-kit.”

Lana’s eyes grow wide. “Viri, that’s way too much…”

“You don’t know how long this is going to take, and neither do I. The less you need to buy, the fewer people will potentially take notice of you. I’d rather you have extra credits and supplies than scramble to figure out how to get a meal or a place to sleep. Or worse, not be able to afford a bribe or a shuttle off a planet.”

“You’re right, I suppose,” Lana says. “Thank you for this, truly. It will make a difference.”

”What’s going on?” Vette asks.

”Lana’s going on vacation for a bit,” Viri says carefully, “But we don’t know anything about that. We’re just in Manaan to pick up kolto and supplies for the med bays in the ship and apartment. We haven’t seen Lana since I hung out with her in the cantina, and we don’t have any information about her. Nor will we discuss Lana or anything that has happened today with the rest of the crew. _Nothing._ If they know nothing, nothing can be extracted from them.”

"Understood,” Vette says quietly. “Good luck, Lana.”

”Lana? Don’t mean to push, but we really need to go.” Theron’s back in the doorway. 

"I know. Viri, Vette…may the Force serve you well,” Lana says, and turns to leave.

”Stay safe, Lana,” Viri replies, and reaches out impulsively to give Lana another hug. “I’ll miss you,” she whispers, in Sith.

“I will miss you, too,” Lana says, also in Sith. “I’ll see you again.”

”I’ll hold you to that.” Viri steps back and watches as Lana walks away, wheeling the cart of kolto canisters in front of her.


	9. Nothing

**Viri**

Nothing. She thinks of nothing. It’s safer that way. If she keeps Lana completely out of her mind, nobody can find her there. It’s easier said than done, however. 

The Emperor’s Wrath throws herself into her work, defeating the Empire’s foes with gusto. There are leftover Dread adherents to clean up on Belsavis; a ridiculous scandal at Czerka’s private moon, CZ-198; and some of Darth Malgus’s remaining traitorous schemes to dismantle. She treads lightly among the Dark Council and accepts work only from Darth Marr, Darth Nox and Darth Vowrawn, believing them to be the safest bets to be free from Revanite influence. At some point she capitulates to Vette, Jaesa and Pierce’s request for a proper vacation, and they spend some blissful days relaxing in a floating villa in Manaan. 

Every week, however, regardless of what she’s doing, she takes a trip to the Fleet.

The Cartel Market is on the lower level of the Vaiken Spacedock. Anything the Imperial brass wants out of sight and out of mind – the black market activity that officially does not exist or is considered unseemly by the Empire – is relegated there. 

Viri pulls up her hood as she walks through the crowds, past Jawa traders, pimps and adrenals pushers. The bounty hunters congregate in the back of the market, near the cantina. 

As always, Viri calls on the Force for support before she scans the list of outstanding bounty targets. This week, Lana’s name is about halfway down the list. Jakarro is there too, toward the bottom. They want Lana captured and returned to the Dark Council in carbonite; they don’t care if Jakarro is contained or killed. 

As long as there’s still a bounty on Lana’s head, she’s still free. As long as she’s still alive, and out in the galaxy somewhere, there’s still hope for Lana, for the Empire…and for them. 

 

* 

News of ‘the traitor’ surfaces from time to time. She’s spotted on Tatooine, and there’s a rumor she’s been seen on Belsavis. When the bounty hunters fail to bring her in after several months of trying, the Emperor’s Wrath is asked to lead a search party to capture Lana Beniko. She’s asked twice; she declines the project twice. After the second time, Darth Marr requests a private conversation with her. She meets him in the conference room on his flagship; a comfortable space outfitted with red furniture and black fixtures. 

”I’m trying to understand your refusal here, Wrath.” Marr paces the room. 

”I wasn’t aware this was your concern, Darth Marr.” 

”It is not. I’m just curious.” 

I am under no obligation to take on any particular project for the Council. I don’t feel that this one is worthwhile.” 

”I comprehend that. However, I’m wondering if a personal affiliation is perhaps clouding your judgment.” 

”Tread lightly, Marr.”

”You were closer to Lana Beniko than anyone else, from what Arkous told me himself.”

”That’s correct.” 

“Can you truthfully tell me, Wrath, that you did not know she intended to kill him?”

”Yes, I can.” The Wrath opens her mind just enough to let Darth Marr read the veracity of the words. 

”I see. How do you feel about Lana Beniko now?”

”I’m naturally very disappointed that things have turned out this way.” Also true, and she lets Marr know it. 

”And yet you refuse to hunt for her and bring her to justice.” 

“Darth Marr, I am here to protect the Empire. Everything I do is in support of that goal. I am not interested in mediating what amounts to an interpersonal dispute. I had quite enough of those during my time as an apprentice.”

“She killed a member of the Dark Council. Is that not enough to get your attention?” 

” _I_ have personally killed a member of the Dark Council. In fact, I’ve killed several, and you’re well aware of it. No one has ever suggested I should be punished for it. No one rebuked Darth Nox when she killed Thanaton. And there have been far more grievous offenses. Lord Grathan was allowed to torture and kill Imperial troops and Sith for years…on Dromund Kaas, no less, and nobody on the Council ever lifted a finger to stop him. In that light, I’m puzzled as to why we would choose to make an example out of Lana Beniko. 

”Moreover…” the Wrath shrugs coldly, “I had no particular affection or affiliation with Darth Arkous. I only met him a few times. Why am I supposed to avenge him? If she’d killed you, or Vowrawn or Nox, I might be far more inclined to care.” 

”Points taken, Wrath.”

”Here’s another: our resources are finite and our concerns are many, Darth Marr. Even if we only send a strike team after Beniko, it’s expending personnel that could be better used elsewhere. I cannot control what you do with your troops, nor can I control the other members of the Council, but I can decide for myself whether I wish to be a part of it. I choose to work on projects that will benefit the Empire as a whole, as opposed to chasing one Sith across the galaxy for killing her mentor.” 

“Your judgment has always proven sound, Wrath,” Marr says. “Thus, I will not push this point. Your concern and dedication to the Empire are genuine; that much is clear. You are also correct in your assessment that there are numerous other issues that are far more important to the entire Empire than this matter with Beniko. Your talents, and those of my people, are best utilized elsewhere.”

“It is appreciated, Marr. We both have the same priorities, when it comes down to it: we want a sane, equitable, powerful Empire. If you have a project that will advance that goal, you know where to find me.” 

* 

**Lana**

Lana has always wanted to see more of the galaxy, but not like this. Every place they visit is fraught with potential dangers; she sees not the beauty but the possible risks. There have been so many nights of hiding; so many days of peeking around corners. She wears masks and scarves that cover her entire face, except for her eyes. She tries to effect Outer Rim accents, with varying levels of success. She’s no longer herself. 

Thanks to Viri, she can always afford a meal; thanks to the bounty on her head, it’s sometimes difficult to find a safe place to eat. She, Theron and Jakarro sleep in shifts. There’s no other way to ensure safety. They’ve changed ships four times. They’re still shaking from a close call with an Imperial officer who spotted them on Tatooine. A very close call. On Belsavis an SIS agent noticed Theron; they’d had to hide for days in a disused Rakata tomb to lose him. 

And now they are on Rishi, a planet teeming with pirates and miscreants. If the Republic, Empire or bounty hunters don’t find them, one of the gangs might. Jakarro has found them a disused warehouse that belonged to one of the recently deceased buccaneers. The computers are old, but acceptable, and the dust in the air isn’t too thick. 

Lana knows that if she ever gets to sleep in a bed again, she will thank the Force with all her might. Her joints are stiff and sore from months of sleeping in a bedroll on one hard floor after another. Still, the dirty floor of a Rishi warehouse is preferable to that night they had to sleep in a tree, or the ones during which they actually hid in a coffin in Belsavis. 

”Take five while I patch into the Holonet, Lana. Jakarro’s on the door.” Theron kneels behind the computers to attach them to various devices and sensors. 

“I own this building. You are trespassing. Leave.” Lana and Theron wheel about, and are stunned to see an old woman standing in the shadows. Jakarro rushes into the room a second later, his rifle drawn. 

”How did you get past…” Theron splutters. 

”I have my ways,” the woman scowls. “You’re in my building, and you are not welcome to stay. Get out.” 

”We can pay you for use of the space,” offers Lana, reaching into her pocket for a stack of credits and a diamond. For the thousandth time since this ordeal began, she silently thanks Viri for the resources she provided. 

The old woman snatches the credits and gemstone from Lana. “That’s a good start.” 

”What else do you want?” 

”You’re more interesting than I initially thought. One of you will come next door, to my shop…and let me tell your fortune.” 

Theron and Lana look at each other. “That makes…no sense.” 

”It is the terms of the agreement. You let me tell your fortune, or you leave.” 

Lana sighs. “I’ll go. Keep working on the computers, Theron.” She follows the old woman up the stairs and into the storefront next door. 

“Sit here, dearie,” the woman says. “I will not ask you to take off your hat or the scarf covering your face…Sith. Just to approach this with an open mind.” There is a brass bowl on the table in front of Lana, and the woman places a candle in the middle and lights it. 

”As you wish,” says Lana. 

”I’ll need something from you, to get started.” 

”More credits? My birthdate?” 

“Oh no, I don’t want your birthdate. I want part of you. It’s the only way the reading will be genuine.” 

”You’re going to have to elaborate on which ‘part of me’ you mean,” Lana says, crossing her arms. “Most of them are off-limits.” 

The soothsayer smiles and hands her a knife. “Give me blood. Just a few drops. I won’t cut you; it must be a genuine sacrifice from a part of you that is important.” 

Lana looks at her hands. “I write with my left hand. Will that suffice?” 

”Very well.”

Lana takes a deep breath and slices her own palm. The soothsayer holds it over the bowl, letting the blood fall into the flame. The fire immediately begins to burn purple and blue, and a small spark breaks away and arcs through the air, in circles. 

”What’s going on?”

”We’re watching your journey,” the soothsayer explains. The spark gracefully dances through the air, growing larger as it does. “You had to struggle to reach success. You faced death, fear, pain, and anger. You learned to master them. You went from the desert to the ice.” 

The spark grows larger. “You have had power as long as you can remember. But it has grown as you have nurtured it.” 

”That’s true,” Lana says. “I’ve been strong in the Force since…well, yes, before I could walk or talk.”

”You seek knowledge. Answers. You do not care for rank or titles.” A second spark breaks away from the fire and begins to dance nearby. 

”What’s that one?”

”There is someone you care about. It represents…it’s a her, isn’t it?” the soothsayer explains. The two sparks separate, and one begins to zig-zag haphazardly through the air. “Your journey here has been dangerous and erratic. This person you care for is not with you right now.”

”No.” 

The soothsayer raises her hands. The two flames loop around each other, like a double helix, for a few moments, but one suddenly plummets, hits the table and burns to ash. Lana’s heart seems to stop in her chest. Is that Viri? Or her? 

”One of us will die, it seems,” Lana says quietly. 

”Look closer, Sith. The flame isn’t out.” Lana squints, and sees that it’s still sparking faintly. As she watches, the other flame dives into the ash, rekindling it. 

”I don’t understand this,” says Lana. “Does this mean we’re both going to die? Or a starship will crash?” A small, bright fire has begun to burn on the tabletop. 

”For one so intuitive, you are blind. It means you will run together. And then you will not, as your paths will diverge. And then you will find each other again, and when you do, you will be one. These flames can no longer be separated.”

Lana steeples her hands and stares at the flame. “And when will that be?” 

”When it happens.” 

“I don’t believe any of this. I came in alone, so it’s obvious she’s not with me. You’re making things up. You don’t know me,” Lana sneers. 

The soothsayer smiles and looks into the fire again. “Your eyes were green before you embraced the Dark Side. You were very upset when they changed, because green is your favorite color, but you couldn’t tell anyone. Your parents were business owners. They taught you how to negotiate with people, and it’s a skill that has served you well. You’re very uncomfortable when other people touch you, even for a handshake, except for the woman you care about. You had a relationship with another apprentice when you got out of the Academy, because you thought it was expected, and you were not yet comfortable following your own path. That person was cruel to you. You write poetry but you’re too shy to show it to anyone. You…” 

”Stop,” Lana says, horrified. Everything the soothsayer has said is completely true. 

”You Sith and Jedi like to think you’re the only ones who are powerful. It’s not true.” The soothsayer’s face softens. “Nothing I’ve said to you leaves this room. That I can promise you. My own code promises discretion and privacy. I have not learned your name, and the moment you leave here, I will make sure to erase your voice from my memory.”

“Why did you want to tell my fortune, then…if not for information?” Lana tilts her head. In the military and Imperial Intelligence, every scrap of data on a person is hoarded and filed away for later use, if necessary. 

”I like meeting people from across the galaxy. That is all. Information for me is food. It is a gift. I have no desire to misuse it by giving it to others. You and your friends are welcome to stay here as long as you need. And I will add my own spell to the building. You have heard of finders, yes?”

”I have.” 

”There are also those of us who can help others, who do not wish to be found. I am one of them.”

”Thank you. I really appreciate that.” 

“Be well, Sith. Go back to your friends.”


	10. The Howling Tempest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's short, but once Viri's on Rishi, the shenanigans can begin and the chapters will be more fun. :)

_She’s walking through a city, and the sun is low in the sky._

_There are so many dead in this dwarf galaxy. So many bodies on the streets. Empire and Republic ships all dashed to pieces, just like Oricon. Dark and Jedi Council members scattered like broken dolls on the sidewalks. Lightsabers broken as people dressed like Revan walk through the pools of blood._

_Lana’s on one street corner; Viri’s on the other. They see each other; they reach out. There are no audible words, just relief at reunion, and panic at the carnage. Viri looks around; tries to figure out where she is. There’s a sign on a burning spaceport: Raider's Cove._

Lana opens her eyes in the safe house. Viri’s appeared in her meditations and dreams before…but this time, she was actually _there._ They saw each other. Lana knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that where ever Viri is, she has experienced the same vision. Just connecting with Viri for a split second – even in a horrible meditation – is enough to warm her soul. 

And she knows – _knows_ – that now, Viri will be able to find them. 

* 

Viri and Vette wander through the winding streets of Raider’s Cove in Rishi, their boots heavy on the wooden boardwalks. 

“What are we looking for?” 

”I don’t know.” Viri squints against the bright sun. The humidity is oppressive, and even though she's wearing light armor, she's uncomfortable. 

”Where should we start?” 

”I haven’t a clue.” 

”Please tell me there’s an actual reason we’re here. Please tell me it’s not just about that dream you had.” 

“If nothing else, we’ll get a nice vacation, Vette. You said you’d always wanted to see Rishi, didn’t you?” Viri smiles. “And it was a vision in my meditation, not a dream.” 

”Oh, well, that makes all the difference.” Vette rolls her eyes. “For what it’s worth? I didn’t like that vision of yours. I think we should have taken it as a cue to high-tail it to the other end of the galaxy. If this place is going to be destroyed, why do we want to be here?”

”It’s not so simple, Vette.” Viri had tried to explain her meditation to Vette; how, in her mind, she had walked through a dead city. How Lana had appeared at the edge of the vision, beckoning to her. Vette had not been impressed.

”At least the rest of the team was smart enough to go on leave,” mutters Vette. 

”Pierce is on a black ops mission, Jaesa is studying on Korriban and Broonmark and Treek are hunting out in the jungles. Nobody’s on leave,” Viri retorts. “And if I don’t have you around, missions get boring.” 

“We don’t even have a mission! We’re wandering in circles! And everyone is cringing as you pass by, and you haven’t even cracked a single head yet!” 

”Look, let’s just…get a drink…and figure things out. All right? It will be good to get out of this heat, at least.” Viri and Vette duck into the nearest cantina, a dimly-lit dive at the bottom of a rickety flight of stairs. As they walk down the steps, patrons pin themselves against the wall to move out of their way.

”Being a Sith has its advantages, apparently,” mutters Vette. “I haven’t seen people this afraid of you since…well…the last time you walked around in public.” 

”I don’t get it,” Viri says. “The Empire’s reach is minimal here.” She sidles up to the bar, and the bartender flinches. 

”Whatever you want, Howling Tempest. It’s on the house. For your friend, too.” 

”Howling…” 

”We know who you are, and what your gang can do. Please, don’t slaughter anyone in my bar.” 

“I just want a Sugar Rush. I don’t want to kill anyone.” Viri blinks. The bartender slides two sealed bottles down the length of the bar toward her, without making eye contact. 

“How much---“ 

”On the house! No need to pay us!” 

”Oh, for the love of---“ Viri sighs. “Vette, let’s go. This is more painful than being outside.” 

* 

Viri is mistaken for the Howling Tempest all over Raider’s Cove. To Vette’s dismay, halfway through the afternoon, she starts playing along with it, dropping her Imperial accent for something with a harder edge and effecting a swagger. When she’s challenged by the local denizens, she punches them instead of reaching for her lightsaber. 

“You should not be going along with this,” Vette groans, as Viri cracks a chair over a pirate’s head. 

“Ay! I go along with me own rules, ye vassal!” 

”Whoever came up with this Howling Tempest thing…I’m going to kill them. Yes. I am.” Vette shakes her head as they bound down one street and then another. “They’ve created a monster. Howling…um…Tempest…er…incredibly obnoxious brat I really want to backhand right now…where are we going?” 

”To find the treasure! Arrr!” Viri strikes a heroic pose as she points down another alley filled with various miscreants. 

”You’ve beaten up the Nova Blades and the Corellian Run Scoundrels already. Give it a rest!” Vette heaves a sigh. 

”No rest for a buccaneer!” Viri cries, charging down the alley. Her reputation in the Cove has preceded her, and instead of putting up a fight, the pirates run. Viri chases them to the next street, laughing all the while. 

”Any chance there’s a plank you can walk now?” Vette mutters.

“Patience, lassie! All in time!” 

”Must. Not. Kill.” Vette says, gritting her teeth. Viri’s stopped, and is looking around the boardwalk curiously. “What?”

The bond – _that_ bond – has been pulling at Viri for half the afternoon. And what she hasn’t told Vette is that she has actually been tracking it, following it across the Cove as it’s grown stronger and stronger, coursing through her veins. In the square, it’s so intense that she shivers as she veers toward a masked woman standing next to a doorway. 

Lana steps forward and takes off her scarf and hat. Her smile is luminous as she gazes at Viri. 

”The Emperor’s Wrath. Any word from your namesake?” 

”Who cares about him! _How are you?”_ Viri says, dropping the pirate act entirely. Her eyes travel over Lana’s face. She’s thinner. More tired looking. There are dark circles under her eyes that were not there before. She’s wearing a mercenary uniform that seems to hug every curve in ways that make Viri’s eyes light up. But she’s there, and she’s strong, and she’s lost in the bond with Viri. It’s like coming home again. 

”You haven’t changed. Good,” Lana says, staring into Viri’s eyes. 

”You two! Get inside.” Theron’s harsh voice snaps them out of their shared reverie, and Lana tilts her head to lead Viri into the safe house. As soon as the door is shut, Viri sweeps Lana into a hug. And Lana hugs her back. 

”It’s so good to see you,” Lana murmurs. “I’ve missed you.” 

”I’ve missed you too, Lana,” Viri whispers.

“As touching as this is, we have a lot to talk about,” Theron says. Vette, Lana and Viri reluctantly break apart and follow him down the stairs into the depths of the safe house.


	11. Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rumors are true: there are cookies on the Dark Side. :)

Viri sits cross-legged on the floor of the safe house, listening carefully as Lana and Theron bring her up to speed. 

“So you were behind that hype about the Howling Tempest,” Viri says. “You got everyone to believe I was a brutal pirate captain. Most effective, really. I think people were more afraid of the Howling Tempest than they would have been if I’d told them who I really was.” 

“I figured you’d be able to throw yourself into the role,” Lana says. “…and might find it amusing.” 

“I’m a bit sorry to give it up,” Viri says. 

”Oh, I think you need to keep up with it for a while longer,” Lana says. “The Nova Blades are helping the Revanites. We need to infiltrate their systems and learn as much as we can, without being recognized as Imperial or Republic citizens.”

“In other words, you need a rival pirate gang.” Viri’s lips curl into a smile. “So the Howling Tempest will continue to rage across Raider’s Cove.” 

"No, oh _no_ , Lana,” Vette groans. “What have you done?” 

”Is it a bad thing for her to be a pirate?” Lana asks. 

”You know how much of a ham she is. Or maybe you don’t. She’s had this horrible fake accent…oh, Lana. And I _liked_ you. Why did you do this to me?” Vette puts her head in her hands. 

“I’m sorry, Vette. Take one for the galaxy.” 

“Make me feel guilty, now. You really are a Sith.” 

”We’re not going to be able to go after them tonight,” Lana says. “Tomorrow, we can work on a plan for your next attack. I’d like to go with you, but I’m still wanted, and so is Theron. We can follow you from here, and Jakarro can provide air support from his ship.” 

“One of these days, Lana,” Viri says. “You and I _will_ go on a mission together.” 

“The idea of both of you charging into the fray kind of scares me,” Theron says, with a shudder. 

”We’re Sith. That’s the idea,” Viri says, with her sweetest smile. She rises from the floor. “Give me your new holo frequencies. And I’ll tune you in to my comlink. What time do you want Vette and me to be back here in the morning?” 

Lana and Theron exchange a glance. 

“You and Vette should stay here,” Theron says. “We’ve been trying not to use comlinks or holos, and people might notice if you come and go a lot.” 

“That sounds like a wise idea, actually,” Viri says, “But I want to send Vette back to the ship once, just to gather supplies and secure everything. The rest of my crew is engaged elsewhere, so we don’t have to worry about them. Vette, you know what to grab from the ship, right? Make sure you bring the sleeping bags.” 

”Once again, I get stuck with the grunt work,” Vette groans. 

”I could always accompany ye, lassie. Arrrr.” Viri says, smiling deviously. 

”Oh no, never mind, really, that’s okay.” Vette cringes. Viri laughs as the Twi’lek scurries out the door. 

”Please tell me you haven’t actually been speaking to people with that atrocious voice,” Lana says, shaking her head. “No wonder Vette wants to kill you.” 

”Of course I have. If I’m going to be a pirate, I might as well have some fun with it,” Viri says. 

”You know, I never thought the Emperor’s Wrath would have a sense of humor,” Theron says. “Everything I’ve heard about you made me think that you were a monster.” 

”I can be very frightening, when I need to be,” Viri says. “I’m not going for that right now.”

”You can turn it on and off that way?”

"Yes." Viri stops smiling, blanks her mind and pours as much rage into it as she can. The room instantly goes cold as her hands and eyes begin to glow, and when she takes a step toward Theron, he instantly backs up. 

Viri dissolves into a peal of laughter. ”Does that answer your question? You should have seen your face!” 

”That was truly awful. Thank you for the demonstration. Please don’t do that again.” 

”Poor Theron,” Lana laughs. “You really did make him go green. Well done.” 

* 

Vette returns from the ship with a cart carrying several trunks and crates, with personal items, clothes, and food for herself and Viri. 

”We keep our food over here,” Lana says, leading the way to the small area they’ve established as a kitchen. She kneels down to inspect Viri’s food crate. “Sweet fruit, cookies, bread…is this what you actually eat?” 

”The Emperor’s Wrath only _looks_ like an adult. She’s actually four, and she lives on cookies. Oh, and she doesn’t eat meat.” 

”Knock it off, Vette. I make some nice dishes with vegetables. I don’t live on cookies. And yes, I am vegetarian.” 

”No, _I_ make some nice dishes with vegetables. Or the ship droid does. Never let her cook, Lana. She’ll burn the place down,” Vette says, settling her own crate on the floor. “Do you have a fridge?” 

”Over here,” Lana says. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Viri quietly grabbing sweets out of her crate. “I thought you didn’t live on those.” 

”They’re here. I’m hungry.” Viri perches on the table and sinks her teeth into another piece of candy. 

“We’ve been sleeping and taking the watch in shifts,” Theron says. “I have a feeling you two would like to catch up. Do you want the first shift? Vette and I can do the second. Wake us up at 0300.” 

”That works for me,” Viri says, flashing a lopsided grin at Lana. 

* 

Lana and Viri settle down in front of the monitors in the safe house in the still of the night. 

”We usually walk the perimeter every half hour and watch the monitors and comm traffic, otherwise,” Lana says, settling down at the desk. “It’s fairly simple. This isn’t a big building.” 

”I can handle that,” Viri smiles, leaning back in her chair. 

”It’s nice to have company on watch. It gets boring here. As much as I like Theron and Jakarro, being in hiding this way has been very difficult.”

“I can imagine. How much did you have to move around?” 

”Way more than I would have liked. We were almost caught on Tatooine. An Imperial agent started tracking us.” 

”She wrote to me. Seemed to feel she was doing her duty to let me know she’d almost apprehended you. I thanked her for sharing, and left it there.” 

Lana looks away. “I was worried they’d send you after me.” 

“Oh, they tried. I was asked twice if I’d lead a strike team to find you. Obviously, I refused. Darth Marr talked to me about it.” 

”What did you tell him?” 

”I told him that my concern was the fate of the entire Empire, and that chasing a single Sith across the galaxy was not the best use of my energy and time. I pointed out that the Empire hadn’t taken such a strong stance against people like Lord Grathan, and that I’d killed a Dark Council member _in front_ of the Dark Council, with their full approval. Why should you be punished for doing the same?”

”You’re good,” Lana says. 

“It’s all true,” Viri shrugs. “Darth Arkous apparently told Marr that I was very close to you. He was curious about it.”

“What did you say?” 

”That he was correct. He asked how I felt about you now, and I told him that I was naturally disappointed by the recent turn of events.” Viri looks at Lana. “Also true. I obviously did not elaborate on this point, but I was very disappointed that the Revanites had proven to be so powerful. I was disappointed that just as we were getting to know each other, events sent you into hiding. And…I was also disappointed that I couldn’t do more to protect you.”

”I’m strong enough to protect myself,” Lana snaps. “I may not be the Wrath, but I am still a Sith.” 

”I never meant to infer that you were weak in any way. But it’s my solemn duty to protect the Empire and those in it…including the strong. That extends to you, by default. And…” - Viri looks away – “I _want_ you to be safe. The idea of your being hurt by the Dark Council, or getting thrown into carbonite by a bounty hunter, was upsetting to me. It still is.” 

There’s a lump in Lana’s throat that she cannot explain. ”I don’t know what to say to that.”

”Maybe there’s nothing to say.” Viri swings her legs restlessly. “Let’s patrol. It’s time.” 

Lana nods and rises from her chair. As she does, she reaches out and grabs Viri’s hand. Viri’s strong fingers automatically thread with hers, as though they’ve been missing Lana all along, and her breath hitches. It’s far more intimate than the first time they held hands in the cantina, and excited sparks dance along the edges of their connection. 

“Viri...” Lana says, unsure of herself. 

Viri stares intently into her eyes and squeezes her hand reassuringly. “Shall we?” 

For the rest of the shift, they walk the perimeter and check the monitors hand in hand, letting their bond talk for them.


	12. Morning Routine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's Sith Shien; not the Jedi one. :)

_Safety. Affection. Friend._

Lana has had a good night’s rest for once. When she wakes in the morning, she’s so warm and comfortable that for just a moment, she thinks she is in her own bed in Kaas City. The dusty safe house almost comes as a shock to her as her eyes focus. 

_Viri._

The Emperor’s Wrath is still fast asleep, tucked under piles of blankets. She’s untied her hair and one of her hands is flung over her head. Like Lana, she’s dressed in simple sleep clothes; unlike Lana, she’s opted for a tank top. Sleep lends her a deceptive look of serenity. When the chrono alarm goes off, she groans and covers her head with a pillow. 

“Viri, time to get up.”

”I’m up,” Viri says groggily, sitting up. “Where are Theron and Vette? Weren’t they supposed to wake us?”

”Probably working on today’s plan already,” Lana says. 

“How does your morning routine here usually work?” Viri stands, rolls up her sleeping bag and blankets, and stows them in the corner. As she walks around the room she goes through some stretches, pulling the kinks out of her arms and legs.

“I do the usual – sparring, meditation – take my shower, and go over the day’s plans with Theron over breakfast. Will that schedule work for you?” 

”Yes, that’s close enough to my own,” Viri says, as she continues to stretch. 

“You’re incredibly flexible,” Lana observes. 

”Thank you. Years of dance had their benefits.” Viri grabs the edge of a nearby chair and does a series of plies. “If I don’t stretch first thing, I feel it later. How have you sorted out sparring and meditation here?” 

Lana shrugs. “I just pick a corner and do what I need to do. I lost my practice droid sphere in Tatooine, and didn’t feel safe buying another, so I’ve been running through forms.” 

”Oh, I have a few on the ship, I think Vette brought them over.” Viri rummages through one of the crates and tosses an orb to Lana. “She brought several, so we can each have our own.” 

”Thank you.” Her eyes travel to Viri’s bare shoulders, and to the High Sith words emblazoned on one of them. “You have a tattoo. ‘Shadow-born and strong, dreaming lucid.’ I didn’t know anyone else had read that text.” 

“It was my present to myself after finishing my trials in Korriban,” Viri says. “I felt the need to get something to protect myself. That poem always made me feel secure, even when I was a kid.”

”Can’t go wrong with a Sith blessing.” 

“Agreed. There’s comfort to be found in our doctrine, if one knows where to find it,” Viri says quietly. “I hope you don’t mind, but I usually don’t bother getting changed for meditation or practice when I’m home. My practice clothes aren’t much different from my pajamas, anyway.” 

”I don’t either, especially here. You’re fine,” Lana says wryly. They settle into companionable silence as they go through their morning practice, doing conditioning exercises and drills. Eventually, they both turn to their lightsabers. Years of Sith training have served them well; before igniting their blades, they run through routine maintenance checks on their weapons. 

“Your lightsaber is orange!”

”What’s wrong with that?” Lana says, defensively. 

”Nothing at all. It’s nice to see someone else who didn’t pick a boring color. Mine is indigo. I get comments on it, too.” Viri ignites her saber to show Lana the dark purple-blue blade. “I’m not a Jedi and would die before being mistaken for one. But I like blue, and our sacred Sith flames are often purple. So I thought a dark indigo would show that I am Sith, while letting me be myself.” 

”I like that,” Lana says. “I would have chosen a green crystal, if not for the Jedi association. I went with orange because it was bright, unusual and reminded me of flames when my saber flashed around.” 

After running through her forms again and again, Viri looks at the practice orbs on the table. “We could use these droids, or we could spar. What do you say?” 

“You’re the Emperor’s Wrath. Do I really want to spar with you?” 

”I promise I won’t hurt you. You can set my saber to safety mode yourself, if you want, and I’ll do whatever form you wish. I won’t jump. You can tell me when you’re ready to stop.” Viri frowns. “I never have anyone to spar with. I’ve tried dueling with Jaesa a few times, but she gets too stressed about it, even when I’m subdued.” 

”I know you won’t hurt me, but…all right. We’ll try it.” 

“Excellent. I…” Viri blushes. “I’ve actually really wanted to see what you can do with that lightsaber. I predict that you’re selling yourself short.” 

“We’ll see,” Lana smiles. She nods as Vri holds out her saber, sets the blade to safety, and locks it. “Does Shien work for you?” 

”Indeed it does,” Viri says with a devious grin. “Go.” 

The two women begin to spar, their lightsabers whipping around with speed and precision. Lana’s an exceptionally good duelist, and Viri admits – only to herself- that she’s surprised by her skill. 

”You’re amazing. Why don’t you ever come on missions with me, again? This talent is wasted behind a computer,” Viri says, as she parries an especially clever series.

“You flatter me,” Lana says. 

”I tell the truth,” Viri says, but in the next moment, she knocks Lana’s lightsaber away. 

”What was that? Still Shien?” 

”Yes, just this,” Viri says, demonstrating the series. 

“I don’t know that one.” 

”Let’s teach it to you, then. It’s a good one to know. Watch me, and show me what you can do with it.” 

Lana goes through the series of sweeps, and Viri shakes her head. “Oh, almost, but no. I see what you’re doing. You’re locking your left arm and feinting right, so you can’t spring back in time. Watch me again.” Viri repeats the move, and Lana attempts to copy her, with no success. 

”Huh,” Viri says. “Can I get into your personal space and touch you for a moment?”

”Um, okay,” Lana says, wrinkling her brow. “Why?” 

Viri deactivates her saber and places it on the table, and then steps behind Lana, putting her hands over the smaller woman’s. “Let me show you this way. Left, and then up right and cross back, but keep this arm loose.” She helps Lana swing her lightsaber exactly as she directs, and guides her through the series several times. “Keep the arm loose! You can’t bring the saber up for the second sweep if your elbow is locked. Better. Let’s do it again. Now the other side.” 

”I think I have it now,” says Lana. She doesn’t know if she actually does, but the heat of Viri against her back is making it difficult to think. It’s all she can do not to throw her lightsaber across the room and simply kiss the woman. 

“Let me see,” Viri says, stepping back and walking around to face Lana as she goes through the series. “Much better. You’re hitting that second sweep much faster now. Shall we spar again?”

“I…think I need to meditate now,” Lana says, with a faint smile. “Join me?” 

”I didn’t hurt you, did I?” 

”No, and I appreciate the lesson. I’d love to learn more later, if you want to teach me,” Lana says. “But I need to stop now...I’m a little overwhelmed.” 

”Understood. Do you want to be alone?” 

“No, that’s not necessary, Viri,” Lana says. “Come and sit with me. You can be quiet and still that perpetual motion in your mind for a while, yes?” 

”I do meditate, Lana,” Viri says, with mock offense. She settles down into a meditation stance next to Lana and closes her eyes. There’s something about Lana’s presence that helps her center more easily; a steadiness that speaks of protection and trust. She casts her mind into the Force and lets it take her where it will. Beside her, Lana’s head has already dropped to her chest, lost in her own meditation. 

”…hang on, Theron, we don’t want to go in there. They’ve taken their…friendship…to the next level.” Vette’s voice echoes through the safe house, but both Lana and Viri are too deep in their meditations to take much notice. 

”Don’t tell me they’re…” 

”They’re _meditating_ together. So cute.” 

* 

By the mid-morning, Lana, Viri, Theron and Vette are all clustered around the table in the common area of the safe house, plotting the day’s attack against the Nova Blades’ assets. 

”An ally of ours will be meeting you,” Lana says, with a twinkle in her eye. “Someone you know. Two someones, actually. They’re very eager to help.”

”I’m eager to see them, if it’s who I think it is,” Viri says with a smile. “It’s good to know they’re here, and safe.” 

”I’ll be monitoring you from here, and so will Theron. Yes, I know, I’m staying here again, but we both need to be careful about going out in public.”

”Understood,” Viri says. “Time to take down some pirates. I’m on it.”


	13. Shattered Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Qorit_ = "End" in Sith. I've decided it's a nickname for the Sith funeral prayer.

Viri is grim as she and Vette wind through the streets of Rishi. There’s been a holo-call. 

”How did he find you?” Vette says, her brow wrinkled with concern. One of the members of the Dark Council is on Rishi, and he’s contacted Viri. 

”That’s the big question,” Viri says. “I don’t know, and it’s worrisome. Nobody’s supposed to know where we are. But at least it’s Vowrawn and not, say, Ravage.” They step into the lobby of Vowrawn’s posh hotel. 

”Vette, wait down here and cover me. If I’m not back in an hour, go to Lana.” Vette nods and takes a seat on a bench in the hotel lobby as Viri heads upstairs. 

*

“My good Wrath! You look the same as ever. How many Jedi have you slain today?” Darth Vowrawn says with a smile. True to form, he’s rented an incredibly opulent suite, with gold fixtures and gaudy Hutt-style decorations, and he’s dressed in his usual splash of bright colors. 

”Jedi are thin on the ground here,” the Wrath laughs.

“Such a pity. You’re so good at slaughtering them. In all seriousness…how are you?” Vowrawn makes eye contact. “You’re not used to anyone asking that question sincerely, are you?” 

”No, I don’t suppose I am.” 

“I understand you’ve been working tirelessly for the Empire.” 

”Doing everything I can,” Viri nods. 

”Including tracking Hutts and cults.” 

All the air seems to leave the room. 

“Dear Wrath, there’s no need to look so morose. I have no intention of stopping you, nor do I have any intention of harming you or your friends. The Revanites are a plague, and I would guess that whatever you are engaged in at present, it will eventually be revealed to be in the Empire’s very best interests. I know you well, Wrath. Ever since you were a child, you have been completely incapable of betraying those you care about. You care for the Empire, and thus, I will not question your intentions or your associations.” 

”How do you know how I was when I was a child?” Viri says suspiciously. 

“I’ve long wanted to tell you,” Vowrawn says. “It wasn’t safe for us to discuss this connection during your campaign against Baras, but I do know who you are. You came to the Dark Temple under Darth Merwo, didn’t you? She was my apprentice.”

“You knew me in Corellia?” Viri says, surprised. 

”Only from a distance,” Vowrawn says. “But seeing as Imperial and Sith activity were, by necessity, clandestine on Corellia, the community was small and we were all aware of each other. Particularly our children; we had to ensure you all would not be spirited away to the Jedi. Merwo discussed you with me, and I saw your little blonde head zipping around at the Temple from time to time. As I recall, you had all the qualities that kept your teachers on their toes: you were smart, incorrigible and very strong with the Force. You challenged Merwo more than any project I could have given her.”

”Is she still alive? I haven’t heard from her since I was in Upper. I looked her up when I was back on Corellia, but couldn’t find her. At the time, I hoped she was laying low because of the conflict with Baras. I’d love to thank her for all she did for me. She truly set me on this road.” 

”Unfortunately, she is not. She died the same way your own parents did, I’m afraid. I think she’d be very pleased that you remember her so fondly, though, and I know she’d be extremely proud of all you’ve become and accomplished. I remember how thrilled she was to see you grow in the Force. She actually holo-ed me when you finally learned to channel that anger of yours, she was so happy,” Vowrawn says with a laugh. 

”I’m sorry to hear about her death,” the Wrath says. “It’s a horrible way to die.” 

”She did not transform. Someone mercifully ended her before that.” 

”There’s that, at least,” the Wrath says. 

”Indeed, there is. Let us leave nostalgia, however. As much as I’d love for us to have tea together and truly talk, time is short.” 

”Are you in trouble? Do you need my help?” 

”And yet again, the Wrath automatically offers her assistance when she believes her ally might need it,” Vowrawn says, with a smile. “This is one of the reasons I’m so fond of you. I’m here to help _you,_ this time. Haven’t you wondered how I found you?”

”Yes, actually.” 

”The same way the Servants of the Emperor have been monitoring you,” Vowrawn says. 

”What?!”

”You’re being tracked, dear Wrath,” Vowrawn says. “The Emperor’s Hands have you followed at all times. Several monitoring droids are shadowing you, all with audio and video feeds straight back to them. They appear to be of an ancient technological design, assembled by the Force.” 

Viri suddenly feels ill. “For how long?”

”That, I cannot tell you. I do know, however, that once I tapped into them, it was incredibly easy to find you here.” 

”Oh, no,” Viri says. 

”To my knowledge, they’ve reported nothing to the Dark Council. This appears to be a project for their own personal use, which worries me.” 

“How can I find them?”

”I have a gift for you that may assist in that endeavor,” Vowrawn says. “A friend of mine was able to obtain this. It’s Gree technology, and it disrupts the droids’ stealth cloaking.” 

”Thank you,” Viri says faintly, taking the device from Darth Vowrawn. 

“If I were you, I eliminate them,” Vowrawn says. “However, that is your call. What do you want, Wrath?” 

”I certainly don’t want to be followed and spied on,” Viri says. 

“I agree. You have a course of action, then. It brings us to a point about which I am curious, though. What do you want, Wrath? What do you truly desire?”

”Nobody’s ever asked me that,” Viri says. “Not since I became an acolyte.” The realization horrifies her. 

“I thought as much. You’ve always been obligated to someone or something, isn’t that so? You didn’t choose Darth Baras; he demanded you. The Emperor sought you out to become his champion; you did not choose to become the Wrath. You merely accepted it. The Empire relies on you. There’s a lot of weight on those able shoulders of yours.”

”The strong carry the weight, because they can,” Viri says. “It has always been so.” 

”Indeed, that is true. Your burdens may always be significant because you are able to bear them. I am curious, though, so I’ll ask you again: What does Viridana Dragoi actually want?” 

Viri takes a deep breath. ”I’d like to continue challenging myself. Improving. Doing what I can for others.” 

”Stop. Try again. I don’t want to know what you want to do for others. What do you want _for you?_ ” 

Viri shakes her head. “This is more difficult than I thought it would be. I still would like to challenge myself. Learn new lightsaber forms. Return to dance. See the galaxy. Enjoy my friends. Enjoy…someone as more than a friend. As long as I’m not bored, I’m happy. And…I’d like to stop running everyone’s errands.” 

”Your blonde friend is most enchanting, Wrath. Well worth caring for. And you have many other passions you would like to pursue.”

”I do,” Viri nods. 

“I understand that well,” Vowrawn chuckles. “We Sith forget sometimes that the pursuit of passion and freedom are as important, if not more so, than the drive for power.”

”I’d like to think it’s possible to be both free and passionate,” Viri says. 

”It is, my dear,” Vowrawn smiles. “And your first step will be divesting yourself of these droids.” 

”I can’t thank you enough for your help, Darth Vowrawn.” 

”You do more than enough for the Empire. Let the Empire – or at least, me, in my capacity on the Dark Council – do something for you. Be well, Wrath. I may not be here when you return. As you may have guessed, the Hands are not pleased that I’ve interfered. No, stop, I can see you already gearing up to offer to protect me. It is not necessary; I can take care of myself. I just wanted to excuse myself for my rudeness in advance, should I vanish from Rishi before we have that cup of tea together.”

”May the Force serve you well and keep you safe, my friend.” Viri says softly. 

”You as well, friend Wrath.” 

* 

Two hours later, Viri’s knee-deep in water in a secluded cove on the Rishi coast, with the Gree monitor in one hand and her lightsaber in the other. Around her, smashed parts of stealth droids – and her faith in the Emperor and his Servants - bob on the waves. Her teeth are bared and she’s seething. These _things_ have been following her. Listening in. Tracking her every move. Every word. 

Vette hangs back, covering Viri, but keeping her distance. She knows the Sith Lord well enough to recognize when she’s completely enraged; the air around them has turned from balmy to frigid. As Vette watches, a small patch of the water begins to boil as Viri channels her excess rage into the waves. 

“I’m good, Vette,” Viri finally says. “Let’s return to our friend and let him know how it went.” 

* 

When they arrive back at Vowrawn’s hotel room, Viri is not surprised to see Servant One standing there instead. 

“We are most displeased, Wrath. You should not have destroyed the droids.” 

”I destroyed what never should have been there in the first place,” the Wrath says. “How dare you track me this way.” 

“The droids allow us to know you, and you exist to serve the Emperor. Nothing else. You have done nothing but waste your time with one trifle after the next. Oricon. Ilum. Makeb. And now this.” 

”I serve the Empire. I will not ignore our enemies, and how they threaten all of us,” Viri says coldly. “I find it hard to believe the Emperor would expect me, or any other Sith worth their title, to let the Empire fall.” 

” What does not threaten the Emperor is not your concern. We fear you forget this,” Servant One replies just as coldly.“If you cannot understand this, and wait to work toward this goal, perhaps you need to be relocated to a safe location that will prevent you from…gallivanting.” 

Viri’s mouth feels dry. 

”I am not an apprentice, I am not your servant, and I will do what is necessary to protect the Empire and those in it,” she hisses, as she wraps a Force choke around the Servant’s neck. “And if your employer has an issue with it, he can tell me himself.” 

”You have made a grievous mistake, Wrath.” 

”Try me,” Viri says, and draws her lightsaber. “Tell the Dark Council you object to my saving and protecting the Empire. _I dare you._ ”

“This is not over,” Servant One says, as he storms from the room.

* 

When Viri returns to the safe house, it is obvious that she is in a dark mood. Lana feels her anger from the moment she steps into the room. Lana glances into the sleeping alcove, where Theron is fast asleep, and closes the door before approaching Viri. 

”What’s the matter?”

“Vette?” 

”Right, right, scary Sith secrets, I’m gone. I’ll patrol.” Vette leaves the room. 

Once Vette’s footsteps are faint, Viri turns to Lana. “We need to go,” Viri says. “We may not be safe here anymore.” 

”Why? What happened?”

”I ran into Darth Vowrawn today. He came to Rishi to find me. He knows you’re here, and he knows you’re tracking the Revanites.” 

”Oh, no.” 

”He’s not the problem. He actually said that he knows that whatever I do is in support of the Empire, so he is not interested in interfering. He’s not going to turn you in, either.” 

”And you believed him?” 

”Yes, for various reasons. Chief among them: he tipped me off to the fact that the Emperor’s Hand has been spying on me, and he went to great trouble to do so. He’s actually on the run from them right now.” Viri sits down, leaning heavily against the back of the chair. “They have been tracking me with stealth droids, Lana. Neither Empire nor Republic technology. It doesn’t look like the things we saw on Rakata Prime, either. It’s…something unusual, and imbued with the Force.”

”How did Vowrawn find them?” 

”He apparently attacked one of the Emperor’s Servants for the information, and he gave me this. Gree technology. It’s able to disrupt their stealth generators. I destroyed all the droids I was able to detect, and I’ve been running scans periodically to ensure that none have returned.” 

”I assume that the Emperor’s Hand is not going to be pleased by that.” 

”Oh, Servant One already found me. Told me that everything I’ve done to save and protect the Empire is a waste of time, and that the Servants were extremely angry about it. I…don’t know if the Emperor is working in the Empire’s interest anymore, Lana. If he were, he would be supporting the Dark Council and our efforts toward stability. His servants are tracking me, hunting Dark Council members…” Viri shakes her head. “Everything’s crashing down.”

Lana says nothing. She simply walks over to Viri and wraps her arms around her. _Comfort. Reassurance. I can do nothing to fix this, but I’m here._

Viri rests her head on Lana’s as she returns the embrace and closes her eyes. Lana’s hair is soft against her cheek, and the faint scent of Rishi flowers wafts toward her nose. Lana exudes steadiness and support; saying nothing but everything, as they stand together for a long moment. They break apart reluctantly. 

”I don’t know if we should stay here,” Viri says. “The Hand has shown no interest in reporting anything about the Revanites, or this mission, to the Dark Council or bounty hunters, but I don’t know if that will change now. They may avoid harming me or interfering in order to stay in favor with the Emperor, but it’s not guaranteed. Especially if the Emperor now has ulterior motives we don’t know about.” 

“We need to talk to Theron when he wakes up,” Lana says. “I don’t think he needs to know these details about you, or Darth Vowrawn, but he does need to know that our position has potentially been compromised. For what it’s worth…I feel that we will be safe here for the time being. If that changes, we’ll be ready to move.” She stares at Viri and tilts her head. “You’re upset about something else.” 

”Yes. Yes, I am. But it’s not about the mission; it’s personal.” 

”Tell me?” 

“I found out that Darth Vowrawn actually knew me, vaguely, when I was a child. That’s not a negative. The Sith Lord who brought me to the Dark Temple on Corellia was actually his apprentice, apparently. Darth Merwo.” 

”I’ve heard of her. And I have always been amazed they had so much Sith influence on Corellia. Upper and Lower academies, a Dark Temple, all under the Republic’s nose. And your parents worked there, as Imperials?”

”Yes. Sometimes for the Empire; sometimes for one of the corporations, but they were always Imperial citizens. A lot of the scientists and engineers on Corellia are. It’s how so much of the Republic’s technology ends up in Imperial hands. All the Sith schools were concealed under different names.”

“Incredibly clever. So Darth Merwo was your mentor, then?” 

”I always wanted to thank her for all she did for me, but when I was in Corellia during my campaign against Darth Baras, I couldn’t find her. She apparently was bitten in a rakghoul attack. Someone killed her before she changed into a monster, but still. She deserved better.” 

”I’m sorry to hear it,” Lana says. “Would you like to do a _Qorit_ for her? It might bring some closure.” 

Viri looks at Lana, stunned. “That’s…a brilliant idea. What can we use for the fire? Do we have anything – candles – lamps, anything?”

”It’s not safe to have open flames here with all this dust. But I have an idea. Look.” Lana takes off her gloves and cups her left hand. Immediately, a small ball of electricity sparks from her palm. “It’s not a flame, exactly, but it’s light spawned from Dark energy.” 

Viri’s mouth curls into a smile. “That’s brilliant. Yes. Can you keep it for the whole incantation?”

”Of course.” 

”I think we can do this! Will you say the rite with me?” 

”I’d be honored. Which branch?” 

”’Esteemed teacher and mentor’ would be appropriate here, I think.” 

“Shall we?”

Viri nods solemnly and centers down into the Force as she stares at the sparks in Lana’s palm. Lana joins her, focusing as she gazes into the blue ball of electricity. 

”Esteemed teacher and mentor, we remember you as you accept death,” Lana begins, speaking Sith. 

”The living assemble to honor you,” Viri continues. The two Sith continue the rite, saying the words together. “The living send you their gratitude, esteemed teacher. Your wisdom will keep your memory alive, and your students will thrive in the Force.” 

“Peace is a lie, there is only passion,” Lana intones. Viri joins her, and they recite the Sith Code in both Sith and Basic as the sparks on Lana’s hand finally fade. They stand together in silence in the darkened room. 

Lana doesn’t need to ask if Viri is feeling better. The waves of calm radiating off her Force signature are enough to tell her. And when Viri wordlessly sweeps her up into another hug, she wraps her arms around the taller woman and holds her. Nothing more is needed. Just them.


	14. Bonds and Alliances

Morning finds Viri off to check on a potential information source – a Mandalorian – and Lana and Theron busily checking comm traffic. 

”There’s a Revanite safe house near here, it seems,” Lana says, scanning the output on her console. “Looks like this is the first stop for them when they arrive in Rishi. Look at this. A ship arrived yesterday and had lots of holo and comlink traffic to these coordinates. Another today.” 

”…so they arrive here, get processed or say their oath or whatever, and then move to the actual headquarters,” Theron muses. “Makes sense. If we could track where they are going somehow…maybe leave a beacon on one of their people…” 

”We should check it out,” Lana says, “See if we can get a bead on where they’re headed.” 

”Shouldn’t we wait for Viri?” 

”Viri’s occupied with the Mandalorians. She won’t be reporting back to us until she’s done with them, in any case.” Lana rises to go and puts on her mercenary disguise and hood. 

* 

The safe house is a hotel a few kilometers away from Lana and Theron’s hideout, and it’s teeming with Revanites. They’re wearing various disguises – Sith robes, Imperial uniforms, civilian tourist garb – but each of them has Revan’s circle motif somewhere on their clothing. 

”Look casual,” Lana mutters. “Can you slice into their computers here?” 

”If we can get to them,” Theron mutters. “If you and Jakarro can make a distraction, I can try to go for the one in the lobby. I can see it from here.” 

”Done and done,” Lana says, and steps away from Theron. She gives him a head start to get through the front door of the hotel, trails inconspicuously behind, and uses the Force to topple some shelves at the back of the lobby. Most of the Revanites’ security heads over to see what has happened…but not all. 

Theron plunges a data spike into the console without being seen, but as he starts back for the front door, a suppression droid wraps a chain around him. All at once, he’s surrounded by Revanites. 

Lana makes a decision, and puts an arm out to stop Jakarro from charging after Theron. 

”Leave him.” She steps out of the lobby and flees, Jakarro on her heels. 

*

Viri returns from her meeting with Shae Vizla bruised, bloodied and singed. The Mandalorian leader and her followers have not gone easy on her, and they’ve only provided information, not a promise of alliance. She steps into the safe house with a frustrated air. 

”I found Torch.” She announces. “She’s not willing to ally with us, but she won’t oppose us, either. She had some interesting information on the Nova Blades and the Revanites… Lana? Where’s Theron?” 

Lana is sitting at the table, back in her Sith robes. “There was…a complication while you were away.” 

”She wouldn’t rescue Theron! She let him be captured! Coward!” Jakarro roars. 

”Lana…?” Viri narrows her eyes. 

”We went to investigate a Revanite safe house. Theron was spotted as he was slicing the computers and captured,” Lana says simply. Viri recognizes the tone of voice, and through their bond, she senses Lana’s discomfit with the situation. 

”You’re uneasy about something, Lana. What really happened?” 

”I told you! She let him get captured!” Jakarro says. “I’m going to check my ship. I’m too angry to stay here.” The Wookiee storms out of the room. 

”Is that true? And why did you go investigate anything?! All I hear about is how you have to stay here, and yet you two walk into a Revanite safe house?! You know I could have helped you…” Viri demands. 

”It was urgent that we investigated it at once, and you were dealing with Torch. The Revanites hadn’t seen me, and they hadn’t seen Jakarro. Leaving him there was the only way to keep the rest of us safe.” 

”Theron is our ally. Would you have done the same to me, if I’d been there? Or Vette?” 

”If you’d been the one captured, what would you have wanted me to do?” Lana replies.

”Stay back, if the Revanites hadn’t seen you,” Viri says quietly. “Get out of there. Find a way to spring me later on.” 

”Exactly,” Lana says. “I made a calculated decision for the greatest safety of this mission.” 

”Sometimes I’m reminded that you Sith can be awful,” Vette says. “He’s probably being tortured.” 

”Theron has implants that increase his ability to resist torture and decrease his ability to feel pain. They likely will try to torture him; he will not respond the way they wish. He also shields his mind extremely well, probably due to his training with the Jedi. I couldn’t read his mind,” Lana says. 

“Neither could I,” Viri shakes her head. “Closed like a safe. It’s most impressive.” 

”Do you Sith routinely do this? Try to burrow into other people’s minds?” Vette looks angry. “Viri? Do you go in my head?” 

”No, I do not, Vette. I respect you. I often pick up on how you’re feeling, but that’s not something I consciously do. Since you know me well, you sometimes do the same, even though you can’t read my mind.” 

”You’re right. You’re being truthful with me right now, and I don’t need the Force to know that. You didn’t answer the rest of my question, though.” 

”Believe me, Vette, most of the time, you don’t _want_ to be in someone else’s head. But in Theron’s case, he’s from the Republic and he’s a spy. He’s also the son of the Jedi Grand Master. Does any of that sound risky to you, if you’re a Sith? Especially one like me, who is a thorn in the Republic’s side? He’s proven himself as our ally now, but I didn’t know that when I first met him, so I did try to have a peek.”

”And in other cases?” Vette crosses her arms. 

”Vette, if I’m trying to see what’s in someone else’s mind, it’s a form of proactive self-defense. I’m trying to see if they’re lying to me or have an ulterior motive. It’s how I knew Malavai Quinn was spying for Baras from the moment we met him.” 

”Which is why you changed every cipher on the ship’s computers before he came on board and had two different holos,” Vette says. 

”Exactly. And why we never discussed anything in front of him, and why he never came on any missions, except for that one in Taris where Baras forced us to work with him,” Viri sighs. “You didn’t trust Quinn, either, though, right? Pierce told me he wished he’d shot Quinn on sight. Broonmark would have happily killed Quinn the moment I asked. Treek thought he was a snake. Even Jaesa was uncomfortable enough not to be around him if she could help it, and she tried to see the good in everyone. Out of the five of you, only Jaesa had the Force, but you all came to the same conclusion and read Quinn correctly. Sometimes you don’t need to jump into anyone’s mind to sense their true motives.” 

”But sometimes you do.” 

“Believe me, Vette, I have far better things to do than pry in people’s heads. But it’s better than having a knife stuck in my back.” 

“I’ve always wondered why you didn’t kill Quinn,” Vette says. “It wasn’t like you to let him go. And you’re right, every single one of us, down to Jaesa, would have cheerfully helped you.” 

”It was Baras’s second trap, that’s why. Believe me, I wanted to kill him. What do you think would have happened to me if I’d killed a high-ranking Imperial officer who happened to be Baras’s pet, though? I think he was banking on my killing Quinn, and that if I had, he would have ordered me to be arrested. Even if I’d been able to evade him, it would have meant I couldn’t get help at any Imperial base, and he would have had enough time to be declared the Emperor’s Voice.” 

“So you injured him in self-defense and left him on the cruiser,” Lana says. 

”Exactly. There was little Baras could do about that. Quinn and Baras had stolen the cruiser to attack me, so they were not about to report that he’d been injured there.” Viri’s face darkens as she narrows her eyes. “However…now that I am beyond Baras, Quinn would do well to stay very, very far away from me. I don’t care if I see him in a year, or ten. I will kill him.” 

“You’re smart,” Vette says. “Very, very smart. I would have fallen for it.” 

Viri shrugs. “Baras was extremely shrewd. I had to stay several steps ahead of him. It’s also one of the reasons I made as many alliances as I could along the way. I did really want to help people, but I also wanted to ensure that if Baras started trashing me, there would be enough voices to counter it. I think Darth Marr was more amenable to me because of my work on Balmorra with Darth Lachris, for instance. And Darth Mortis had heard good things about me from Lord Zavrasha.” 

“I still don’t like it,” Vette says. “You learn all their secrets…”

”No. It doesn’t work that way, Vette,” Lana says. “You just try to see if there’s anything behind their words. Anything they’re actively concealing. Usually, if someone’s going to lie or betray you, or they’re hiding something, or something’s especially on their mind, it’s a glowing sign in their brain. It’s not like you’re rifling through their underwear drawer.” 

“But Sith betray each other all the time.” 

”Sith are taught to shield their minds from the time they’re children. The only way to survive is to have extremely strong walls,” Lana explains. “Which means it’s hard for us to read each other.” 

”How are you and Viri connecting to each other, then?” 

Lana and Viri exchange a glance. “We might as well explain it to her, Lana.” 

”She’ll just keep asking, if we don’t,” Lana sighs, folding her hands on the table in front of her. “Vette, have you heard of a Force bond?” 

”Yes, but I don’t know what it is.” 

”It’s when two Force users have a special connection with each other. It goes beyond any sort of normal rapport. It’s something…visceral and organic. It doesn’t mean I’m able to see into Viri’s mind – we still have our boundaries - but it does mean I’m able to sense her and interact with her on another level, and that when we’re separated, it’s difficult.” 

“Our connection to each other strengthens our connection to the Force, as well. Anything we do can be amplified,” Viri adds. 

“And you chose this?” 

”No,” Lana says. “You can choose to accept it or not, but it’s there regardless.” 

”Kind of like meeting your soulmate?”

Viri turns red. “Something like that. Although it may or may not be romantic. A Force bond is not an emotional bond, although they can develop simultaneously.” 

”So if you two had sex, it would be awesome because of this bond, right?” 

”I think we’ve come to the end of this conversation, Vette,” Lana says, raising her hand and looking away. 

”I swear, you two are like schoolgirls with all of this blushing. Have you even kissed yet?!”

”Vette, _enough._ That’s off-limits. Savvy?” Viri crosses her arms and glares. 

”Got it.” Vette shrugs. “Sorry if I went too far. Thanks for answering the Force bond questions, though.” 

”One more thing, Vette,” Lana says. “It would be best if you kept this to yourself.” 

”Lana’s right. It’s extremely important that you don’t talk about this, even with Theron, or anyone else we might meet.” 

“Understood.” Vette wanders off into the sleeping alcove. 

“To get back to the mission,” Lana says, briskly picking up her datapad, “The good news is that Theron was able to get a data spike into the computer in the Revanite safe house, and I’ve been able to slice in through it. They’re not gathering around here; they’re simply processing people in Raider’s Cove and sending them further into the jungles. There’s a Rishii village that’s far enough away to escape detection, but might be close enough to keep an eye on them. I think we should try to seek refuge there.” 

”Let’s go, then,” Viri says, and helps Lana as she begins to pack up the safe house. They both pause when they come to Theron’s belongings. 

”Being Sith _is_ awful sometimes,” Viri says. 

”It’s a war. It’s not pretty,” Lana says. “All the same…I tend to agree with you. Let’s just put these things in a crate. We can leave them on Jakarro’s ship for Theron to claim…later.” 

“We _will_ get him back, yes?” 

”Of course,” Lana says. “And I expect he’ll have promising data for us, when we do. Why don’t you and Vette go on ahead? I’ll finish up here with Jakarro, and we’ll meet you at the village. It looks as though you've had a rough day with the Mandalorians." 

“All right,” Viri says, brushing the dust from her greaves as she stands. “I’m sure Vette has a thousand more questions for me, all about our personal lives, and the longer I put them off, the more insistent she’ll be.” 

”I think Vette wants us together as much as we do,” Lana laughs. 

”Oh, she does. She’s picked out wedding outfits. You think I’m kidding, but I’m not. She thinks we’re good for each other.” 

”What do you think?” Lana asks quietly, standing up. 

”I agree with her,” Viri says, softly. “Completely. The bond…makes me feel right when I’m with you. Outside of the bond, though…I still feel that way. You bring out something in me I didn’t know I had.”

”It’s mutual, all of it,” Lana says, and places a soft kiss on Viri’s cheek. “There. Now you can tell her we’ve shared a kiss, at least.” 

Viri reaches out and caresses Lana’s face, kisses her cheek and envelops her in a hug. _I like you. A lot._


	15. The Village

“You know, this isn’t what I imagined when I thought of a vacation on Rishi,” Vette sighs, as she fights her way through the thick foliage of the jungle. “I might be picky, but I was thinking of beaches, spas…not pirates, slavers and insects.”

”Look, Vette, we’re almost there,” Viri says, slashing some vines out of the way with her lightsaber. “Look on the bright side. I don’t have to pretend to be a pirate anymore.” 

”I am still going to get Lana for that. I haven’t forgotten.” 

“Oh, it was fun.” 

”For you. Not for everyone who had to listen to it. Namely me. You make a terrible pirate. I’ve actually been around them, you know. Not one of them says ‘arrr.’” Vette says, gingerly stepping through a section of high grass. 

”What fun is there in being a pirate if you _can’t_ say ‘arrr,” I ask?”

“You’re a Sith. Don’t you guys have enough charming catchphrases?” 

”Point taken,” Viri laughs. “At any rate, according to the navigator, the village should be just beyond these rocks.” 

“Oh, wonderful. In addition to the bugs and bad pirate imitations, I get to climb rocks. The fun never ends here on Rishi.” Vette hoists herself up and scrambles across the rocks into the clearing behind Viri. “Slow down, would you? Not everyone has arms and legs that are seven meters long.” 

The Rishii village is simple, with clean, well-maintained huts and pathways lined with flowers. Several of the villagers spot Viri and Vette as they walk down the main drag; not one seems perturbed by the newcomers. 

”Are they expecting us? These birds are really…chill,” Vette whispers. 

“Maybe Lana and Jakarro beat us here? Let’s see if we can find the leader.” Viri and Vette wander until they find an elaborately-dressed Rishii sitting outside a large hut. “Excuse me, are you in charge here?”

”We don’t really operate that way,” says the Rishii. “But I can act as that sort of thing if you require it of me. I am Aranku. And you are?” 

”The Wra---um. My name is Viridana. This is Vette. What is this place called?” 

”The village doesn’t have a name. It’s just where we Rishii live.” 

”I see.” There’s a sound in the clearing, and Lana and Jakarro emerge from a thicket of trees. 

”I’m glad we all made it safely here,” Lana says. “And it seems you’ve made a friend.” 

”Aranku, meet Lana, Jakarro and C2-D4.” 

“Pleased to make your acquaintance. Your friend Viridana was just asking me about the village.” 

”Are there other inhabitants on this island, Aranku? Do you know anything about them?” Viri asks. 

“Others have been here for a while, but they have kept to themselves. Strangely, their encampment appears to be segregated. One group looks like her,” Arankau says, gesturing toward Lana. “The other is less…intense.” 

“Multiple Lanas? If they have more of you in their roster, I might be joining the Revanites,” Viri says. 

”You flatter me,” Lana smiles. 

“If their Sith are even half as lethal as Lana, we’re in trouble,” C2-D4 says. 

“It’s something we’ll need to look into,” Lana agrees. “In the meantime, Aranku, is there a place in the village we can stay?”

”We have some extra huts. We’ll be happy to let you use one of them. I think the one at the top of the hill would suit you. I’ll ask someone to show you the way. While you’re staying here, your help around the village would be appreciated, if you choose to volunteer.” 

”Let us know what needs to be done, and we’ll try to help,” Viri says. “We’re grateful for your assistance.” 

”It’s nothing. The hut’s there, and it’s empty. I hope your stay here will be meaningful for you. You’re welcome to come talk to me again, if you wish.” 

* 

A Rishii messenger escorts Lana, Viri, Vette and Jakarro to a clean, large hut. They put down their supplies and work together to set up their generator, boot up the computers and organize their sleeping alcove. 

“Even though the Rishii seem to have their village secured, I’d still like at least one of us to be on patrol at all times,” Viri says. “We’re close enough to the Revanites that we don’t need to take chances.” 

”I’ll take the first watch,” Vette volunteers, heading out of the hut. 

Viri sets down some supply crates and tries to shake some of the dust and grime off her armor. “I really need to wash up, after the trip out here. Would you mind coming with me to the stream, Lana? I’d prefer to have someone cover me while I bathe. I’d ask Vette, but she just went on watch, and…” 

”I could use a bath myself, after crawling through that grass and mud,” Lana says. “I’ll be happy to cover you, if you’ll do the same for me.” 

The Rishii have already explained to them that there’s one area of the stream – an offshoot that doesn’t return to the main waterway –designated for bathing. The two women walk down the trail and around a clutch of palm trees to find it, carrying towels and toiletries. 

“You first,” Lana says, gesturing toward the water. “I’ll cover you from here.” Lana perches on a rock on the shore, one hand on her lightsaber. 

Viri sets her belongings down on another rock, hands her lightsaber to Lana for safekeeping, and undresses. Although she has few reservations about nudity, Lana finds herself looking away as Viri disrobes and wades into the water. Her attention snaps back to her friend when Viri issues a piercing shriek. 

“What?!” Lana draws her lightsaber. 

“Sorry, it’s just cold,” Viri laughs. She glides easily through the water, her long arms and legs moving smoothly as she swims toward the waterfall. Once there, she stretches out a hand and levitates her bottles of shower gel and shampoo over to herself, one by one. 

Viri turns away from Lana as she washes her hair, and Lana can’t help but look. A few scars slice across Viri’s pale skin, and Lana finds herself curious as to the stories behind each of them. The muscles in her back ripple as she raises her arms to lather her long curls, and Lana has the strongest desire to kiss the soft hollow between her shoulder blades. To run her tongue up, or down, or….Lana blinks and shakes her head, but can’t stop herself from staring until Viri turns toward her and swims back toward the shore.

”I’m done,” Viri says, wading out of the water and wrapping a towel around herself. “Your waterfall awaits, Lana.” 

”Thank you,” Lana says, faintly. She notices that Viri also looks away while she disrobes, only settling down against the rock and glancing in Lana’s direction when she’s shoulder deep in the water. Viri’s cheeks are red, and she seems to keep looking toward Lana and away again. 

The water is cold, but the waterfall is soothing, and Lana finds herself humming under her breath as she washes. Her song abruptly stops when a wave hits her in the face. She splutters indignantly and looks toward Viri, who is innocently gazing at a palm tree. 

”This pool is remarkably gifted in the Force,” Lana remarks. “It’s most incredible.” 

”Fascinating,” Viri says, but she can’t keep the smile out of her voice. 

When nothing else happens, Lana resumes washing, only to find more water being poured over her head and her shampoo bottle dancing in the air. 

”Come on, enough.” Lana says, with a touch of irritation. “It was cute the first time, and if we were alone I’d probably still be amused, but I’d like to get out of here before any of the Rishii join us or I get frostbite.”

”Fair enough.” Viri leans back against the rock and crosses her arms. Lana resumes washing in peace, but a few minutes later she’s splashed again, and something shoves her hard enough to make her lose her balance. 

“Viri, _damn it_ , I said…” 

Viri’s not on the rock anymore; she’s in the water with her saber out, dispatching several creatures that have crept up on Lana. “That one wasn’t me.” 

“Thanks,” Lana says. 

”Hey, I’m covering you, aren’t I?” Viri shrugs and extends a hand to Lana to help her up, but as she does, her entire face flushes. Lust and desire arc across their shared bond. 

“Sorry,” Viri mutters, averting her eyes. “I didn’t mean to ogle you.” 

“You don’t have to look away, Viri,” Lana says quietly. “I really don’t mind if you see me. Go ahead.” Viri’s gaze travels slowly down Lana’s body, and back up to her face, and she shivers. 

”You’re truly beautiful, you know,” Viri finally says. 

”You think so?”

”I do,” Viri says. She reaches one hand toward Lana, kisses her cheek, and then, with a great deal of effort, pulls back again. “I…we…should get back to the hut before more of those beasts show up. This wouldn’t be a good place to be distracted.” She floats a towel over to Lana. “You must be getting cold.” 

_Not exactly._ Lana bites her tongue before she says the words. They dress in silence, and Lana takes Viri’s hand as they walk back to the Rishii village. 

”I hope you’re not embarrassed, Viri,” Lana says. 

”I’m not. It’s just…can I be candid?” 

”I hope you will be.” 

”This is completely uncharted territory for me. I hope you will understand that I need to take my time with it.” The two women reach their hut and step inside, settling down companionably by the fire. 

“Do you mean you’ve never…” 

”No, not at all. I went to Academy just like everyone else, and did what we all do there,” Viri smirks. “But I’m not attracted to anyone unless I have a deep connection with them. I did a lot of things in Academy. I don’t know that I enjoyed most of them, because there was nothing behind it for me. Does that make sense?” 

”I’m much the same way, actually,” Lana says. “If there’s no connection there, that part of me isn’t…awake, for lack of a better word. And I don’t think either of us have experienced a Force bond before.” 

”Yes, the Force bond is new, but I’ve never had a connection of this nature outside of the bond, either. Have you?”

Lana looks at the ground. “No. There were some dalliances in Academy that I mistook for being more than they were. One woman in particular…yes. I liked her much more than she liked me. Any connection we had was on my end, not hers. And after I finished my trials in Korriban, I was sent to Hoth. There was another apprentice there, who was of higher rank in the hierarchy. Stamek. I entered a relationship with him, because I thought I should. I told myself I had a rapport with Stamek. He manipulated me to get ahead, and you can guess how it ended.” 

”He went after you, and you had to destroy him?” 

”Exactly. And then on Belsavis, I ended up having a one night stand with one of the Sith Lords there who was a bit forward with me, and I thought I’d see what would happen.”

”Was that Lord Shaar?”

”Oh no, you ran into her too?”

Viri laughs. “Yes. In between asking me to kill an old adversary of hers, she was telling me all about the things she could teach me, and it was clear she wasn’t talking about Sith lore. I was not amused, and I blew her off. The minute you said ‘Belsavis’ and ‘forward’ I knew it had to be her.” 

“I still think there’s something more with you.” 

Viri stares at the fire, contemplating. “I think you’re right. I told you that you bring out something in me that I didn’t know I had. I’m not the Wrath right now. I’m just Viridana. Viridana doesn’t have the same confidence the Wrath does. I’ve always thought that I’ve remained true to myself, but this is a deeper sort of truth. I want to share things with you that I’ve not shared with anyone else.” 

”I don’t generally let anyone get close to me. You, on the other hand, have been close from the moment we met. And…I like it.” 

“I think it’s wise that we’re taking our time with this,” Viri says. 

”So do I.” 

”Thank you, Lana.” Viri smiles slightly. “I’ll need your patience.” 

”You’ll have it.” Lana moves closer to Viri. “This fire’s nice and warm. Shall we sit for a while?” 

Viri smiles. “Let’s.” She closes her eyes and savors the heat of the flames and the woman by her side.


	16. Fireside Conversations

Viri perches in a tree above the Revanites’ Imperial base, scanning the scene. There are several individuals she recognizes from her foray into the Revanites’ jungle camp on Dromund Kaas; people who are completely lit up with devotional fervor. She's been able to give Lana the names she's remembered from that trial; they haven't helped much. 

Her tasks today are simple: break into the Revanites’ compound, scan for signs of Theron or other prisoners, and create some subterfuge. The fact that the Revanites have segregated Sith and Jedi – even here, in what is supposed to be a utopian cult – has created a window of opportunity for Viri and Lana. If they can get the Revanites to distrust each other even more, they may splinter enough to leave an open door. 

They each have their assigned duties: Jakarro is monitoring the situation from his ship; Vette is covering Viri from another tree. Back in the Rishii village, Lana is bent over her console, feverishly slicing through layer after layer of security. The Revanites are using modified Imperial protocols; there are a few extra ciphers Lana’s never seen, but the basic program is familiar to her. 

”Wrath, the Revanites appear to be keeping prisoners in the grey building at these coordinates. I’m not seeing Theron’s name, but you still might want to check it out.” Lana still insists on using Viri’s title when they’re on missions, creating a delineation between their personal and working relationships. 

“Security?”

”I can’t slice in from here. You’ll need to grab the access codes from one of the Revanites. They all have key cards, it seems.” 

”On it,” the Wrath hisses. “Vette, pick off the three in red, and then cover me on those two Sith.” Over the comlink, Lana hears a lightsaber ignite as the Wrath jumps into the fray. 

* 

“Theron’s not with the other prisoners. It worries me,” Viri says, as she reads through the information on the monitor in front of her. They've managed to transform the Rishii hut into both a cozy living space and a respectably advanced command center. 

”He’s Satele Shan's son, and they are both direct descendants of Revan,” Lana replies. “They may have a special interest in him for numerous reasons. That would likely be one of them.” 

”I hope he’s holding up,” Viri says. 

“I do, too,” Lana says, looking at her own console. “Hopefully his status as Revan’s heir will buy him a slight bit of protection. In the meantime…the information you borrowed today might help us find him. It seems as though they’re moving on something huge in the near future, but I’m not seeing what. We may be able to grab Theron while they’re busy.” 

”We need to find out what that is, though,” Viri mutters. “The way they’re manipulating the hyperspace routes is worrying me, Lana. Darth Marr’s ships are passing through here soon."

”If they’re planning to attack the fleet at all…that would be their opportunity. We’ll have to stop them,” Lana says. 

“Two days to find a Revanite roster, free Theron, and save the Empire,” Viri says bleakly. “Let’s break this down.” 

Viri, Lana, Vette and Jakarro hover together over the console and plan their next move.

* 

”We know our parts, all of us. We move at dawn,” Lana says. “In the meantime, I’m ready to turn in for the evening, if you are. Jakarro, you’re on first watch.” 

“Sounds like we’re ready,” Vette says. 

Lana moves toward the alcove they’ve set aside for cooking and grabs three mugs. She, Vette and Viri have adopted an evening routine in the Rishii village; they end the day by sitting together by the fire with a warm beverage. Lana and Vette’s tea is already seeped; Viri’s hot chocolate is ready. As they prepare their drinks, Viri notices that Lana has poured something from a bottle into her tea. 

“What is that you added?” Viri asks. 

Lana smiles sweetly and hands the mug to her. “Have a taste for yourself.” 

Viri does, and immediately spits the liquid across the room. “Ugh! Lana! That was not nice!” She glares at Lana, who is doubled up with laughter. 

”You got her, Lana,” Vette says. “Well played.” 

”I take it you’re not a fan of bourbon?” Lana chuckles, settling down in front of the fire. “I didn’t know you’d react that way. Truly, I didn’t. But the faces you’re making right now…you would have thought I handed you poison.” 

”How can you drink that? It’s _vile!_ ”

”It’s an acquired taste, I suppose,” Lana says. “I’ve always found it a good way to end the day; just a dash or two.” 

”You’re wasting perfectly good tea,” Viri says, shaking her head. 

“You don’t drink at all?” Lana asks, curious. 

”No, not really. Every once in a while, if I’m celebrating something, but even then, very sparingly. It goes right to my head.” 

“So what do you drink at all those clubs?” 

”Sugar Rush, of course. Keeps me hopping for hours.” Viri sips her hot chocolate. 

“She has the palate of a four year old, Lana,” Vette interjects. 

“I should have guessed,” Lana laughs. She stares into the fire, thinking, as Viri steals a glance at her. The glow of the flames illuminates the planes of her face, and Viri is struck by just how… _beautiful…_ she is. 

“What’s up?” Lana asks, finally noticing the stare. 

”Nothing,” Viri says. “I just like looking at you.” 

”You flatter me.” 

”It’s true. You’re nice to look at.” 

”You’re not that bad yourself, Viri.” 

”Yes, but if I looked at myself, I’d be vain, wouldn’t I?” Viri laughs. “Actually, as I’m saying that to you…I flirted with myself once.” 

”You know you _will_ be required to tell me this story now.” 

”Oh, sure,” Viri sips her chocolate again. “I was on Tatooine, tracking Jaesa. I’m not sure if I’ve explained the whole deal with her, but in summary, Darth Baras wanted her dead because she could sense people’s true natures. He’d sent me all over the place to track her, and I ended up on Tatooine. Jaesa had done some spiritual quests there, and I was following her footsteps. I ended up doing the same trials. There was one with a beast, and this oasis where you spoke to a reflection of yourself.” 

”I see. So when you met your own reflection, you actually flirted with her?” 

”I did. I told her I knew I was good looking, but she was just _ridiculous,_ ” Viri laughs. 

“I was so ready to sprint out of that oasis if they’d gotten it on.” Vette shakes her head as she brings her empty mug into the kitchen area, grabs a tooth cleaning tablet from a box on the counter, and tosses tablets to Viri and Lana. “I’m going to join Jakarro on watch. C2’s hilarious, and you two need to flirt some more.” 

“All right, Vette. Stay safe out there.” Lana shakes her head as she chews her tablet and turns back to Viri. “What did you think of Tatooine, other than being entranced by your own reflection? I was there, but as you can imagine, since I was on the run, I didn’t get a chance to take in much of the local scenery.” 

”Believe it or not…I liked it there. All that open space; all that time to just speed across the desert and think. It felt free from both Empire and Republic; that wasn’t the main conflict there. I don’t know if I would want to live there full time, but I wouldn’t mind visiting, or having a vacation home on Tatooine.” Viri glances at Lana. “Maybe we could go together, when all this is resolved.” 

“Maybe we could,” Lana smiles. “It’s just so bright there, but we could always go out at night.”

“What do you think of Rishi?” Viri says, glancing over at Lana again. 

”The people or the planet? The Rishii are like no other people I’ve met,” Lana says, gazing into the fire. “Accommodating, pragmatic, reasonable…if it wasn’t for the weather, I’d consider staying.”

”I could make a home here,” Viri replies.

”Really? New seat of the Empire, maybe?” Lana smiles. 

“Or where the Wrath goes to escape the Empire when she needs a break,” Viri says reflectively, putting her head on her knees.

“Do you often feel that way?” 

”What do you mean?” Viri turns her head to look at Lana. 

”Being the Wrath. Do you often feel that you need a break from that?” 

Viri pauses before answering. “Yes. It’s freedom, but it’s also the heaviest chain you can imagine.” 

”How so?”

”I am responsible for everything. Everyone. The fate of the Empire. Billions of people, Lana. It’s my duty to protect them all. When we were in Makeb, we had to save the planet, which in turn saved the Empire. When I was on Oricon, I had to stop the Dread Masters from invading the core worlds. People don’t say hello to me. They ask for help. Even my crew, Vette and the others…I love them, but I’m also aware that I’m their protector and am responsible for their well-being.” 

”I didn’t realize it weighed on you so much.” 

”There’s no way it wouldn’t, I fear. Darth Vowrawn told me it might always be my fate to shoulder a heavy burden, because the strong carry those who are less strong. I do it because I can, and because I know I should. But living with that…it’s difficult knowing that if you make the wrong choices, you might be wiping out a planet. You hold the power of life or death over so many other people. And there’s nobody to guide you, because you are the one to which others look for guidance. I love being the Wrath, but I don’t take the responsibility lightly.” 

“How do you cope? How does one even make decisions of that magnitude?”

”I do what I can with the information I have at the time.” Viri looks into the fire again. “It’s actually the same thing I’ve done since I was an acolyte. I use my teachings, the Code, my experiences, my conscience, and my instincts. I try to listen to the opinions of others who might have a more informed perspective on a situation, but do not follow them heedlessly. I do not expect to be infallible, and I accept that. But I do my best to strive for that perfection.” 

“You’ve shown mercy to people in the past, I’ve noticed. Even Jedi.” 

Viri shrugs. “When it is warranted. It isn’t, always. But in terms of the Jedi, I find them abhorrent, but I’m not going to make their mistake. They hate us on sight. I hate their Code, but I am willing to see what will best serve my goals with them.”

“You’d make an excellent leader.” 

Viri smiles. “Thank you. I appreciate that. But I don’t know if the Empire is ready to be led by someone like me. There are plenty in the old guard on Dromund Kaas who have been aghast at my actions.” 

”They’ll change. They’ll have to, if the Empire is to succeed.” 

”I’m inclined to agree.” Viri lays back on her bedroll and sighs, looking up at the ceiling. 

“You know, I’m not expecting you to be the Wrath, when it’s just us.” 

”That’s one of the thousands of reasons I like being with you so much,” Viri says. 

“Thousands of reasons?”

”Yes. Being here with you, in this moment, is all I want. I like you. I like…everything about you. And with you…I feel safe being myself.” Viri sits up, turns to Lana and kisses her on the cheek. Lana repeats the gesture, and moves toward Viri, cupping her face with both hands. Viri is biting her lip, worrying the skin in a way that is utterly endearing, and desire is sparking through their connection, but Lana senses something else growing in their bond: _Fear._ She immediately backs up. 

”I’m sorry, I just…” Viri says. 

”Never apologize for that,” Lana replies. “I already told you, we’re on your schedule. Can you tell me what’s bothering you, though?” 

Viri takes a deep breath. 

“Viri, just tell me. I won’t bite. I know you're struggling with something, even if you're not telling me. Force bond, remember? I'm feeling your anxiety. It might help us both if I knew why." 

Viri looks at her. “You really want to know, don’t you? This is the only time I’ve ever been at all intimate with someone I actually like. And trust. And care about. As I mentioned before, I did a lot of things at Academy. I don’t know that I enjoyed them, they were all experiments, and some of them did not go well.”

“You’ve _never_ enjoyed it?” Lana looks at her in disbelief.

”I’ve enjoyed giving pleasure, that makes me happy. I’ve enjoyed my own mind, my own explorations…but letting someone else touch me is difficult. Being at all vulnerable this way…as much as I want to be with you, every way possible, it’s going to require some time. That vulnerability is completely counter-intuitive to my brain, and it does scare me.” 

“I appreciate your honesty,” Lana says quietly. 

“I feel your disappointment,” Viri says. “I’m sorry.” 

”I thought I just told you not to apologize for taking things as slowly you need to,” Lana says. “And my disappointment is not with you. I’m just sorry you haven’t…had a better time with this. Like you, I’m not even attracted unless I have a connection with someone, but it seems I’ve at least had more positive experiences in that regard.” 

”It appears so,” Viri says. “We should probably get some rest, Lana. It’s a long day tomorrow.”

“You’re changing the subject.” 

Viri shrugs. “What else is there to say? This is an area where…I clearly have some issues. I wish I didn’t. I’d like to move past it, but in all honesty, I don’t know if it’s even fair to ask that of you. Or anyone.” 

“Fair?” Lana scoffs. “It’s not about being fair. We have a rapport and a connection that are important to me, and I know, to you, too. I don’t normally like people touching me either, actually, even though I don’t have the same concerns you do. I like you. If you want to work through this, I’m more than willing to be as patient as you need. Don’t you realize we’ve been working through this all along, together?” 

”What?” 

Lana smiles and kisses her on the cheek. “You don’t mind this, do you? Or this.” She gives Viri a hug, enjoying the way the taller woman seems to melt into her arms.

”You’re right, we have been…slowly moving along, haven’t we?” Viri says, holding Lana close.

Lana laughs. “For someone who is hyper-aware of everything around her, this one seems to have escaped you.” She sits back and looks at Viri. “We should get to bed now, but this is a work in progress, dear one. Not a sprint.” 

_Dear one._ The words fill Viri with joy, coloring the edges of her Force signature with a serene blue. 

Viri looks at her hands. ”Would you sleep with me?” 

Lana looks startled. “Don’t you think that might be jumping ahead just a little too quickly for you? I would love to, actually, but I don’t think that’s the best idea at this moment.”

”No, _no,_ I meant…I’d like to, I don’t know, snuggle with you. We do have to rest, but…” 

”Oh, all right, I was a bit shocked there for a moment,” Lana laughs. “If that’s the sort of sleeping you mean, I’m in favor of it.” Lana pulls her sleeping roll next to Viri’s and stretches out next to her, wrapping one arm around her waist. Viri’s arm immediately goes around her shoulder, pulling her closer, and she rests her head on Lana’s.

”Still okay? You are an incredibly comfortable pillow, you know.” 

Viri’s eyes are dark with emotion. “More than okay.”

“Let’s get some rest, then.”


	17. The Battle of Rishi

The Emperor’s Wrath hovers outside the Revanites’ top security compound, her lightsaber drawn; every muscle coiled and prepared to attack. On the other side of the doorway Vette has both blasters out; her eyes narrow, her jaw set. 

”I sliced through four layers of security to find their prisoner list. He’s in there,” Lana says over the comlink. “I’ve overridden the security console. Now it’s up to you.” 

”On it,” the Wrath mutters, marshaling her strength. She catches Vette’s eye and nods, just once, before bursting through the doorway. Two Revanites are down before they even understand what has happened; three more fall in short order. The Wrath slashes her way through the room and sprints down the corridor, Vette at her heels. 

”Lana, have you got a cell number for me?” The Wrath looks quickly into each cell as she moves along the hallway. “Where ---“ 

”Looking for me?” Theron steps out from the shadows. His face is covered in bruises and one of his implants is obviously broken, but he is alive, coherent, and most importantly, out of his cell. 

”Theron! Are you all right? How did you…” 

”I just broke myself out,” Theron says. “I’ve been monitoring them as much as possible. They moved me around a lot after they got done… _questioning_ me. They’re distracted today; it was a good time to make a break for it.”

”Hold still,” the Wrath says, and sends a blast of Force healing at Theron. “It won't repair your implant but it should help the bruises, at least. Vette, give him some of our kolto. Lana and I have set up a command post, I will give you the coordinates…” 

”Thanks,” Theron says, surprised. “I appreciate it, but there’s no time to rest. Finish what you were doing here. The Revanites are on the move today. I’ll get outside the compound and start slicing from there.” 

“Jakarro’s providing air support from his ship. He’ll pick you up.” Jakarro roars his assent through the comlink. 

”Right,” Theron says. “Once I’m on his ship, I’ll grab a new comm for myself and patch you and Lana in. But you can’t wait for me. The Revanites appear to be moving on something _today._ ” There’s a shadow overhead as numerous ships gather in the sky. “As if on cue…” 

“All right, Theron. We’ll cover you to the gates.” 

* 

The Revanites’ compound has signal jammers and shields; the Wrath and Vette drop out of communication with Theron and Lana several times as they wander through different sectors. The Wrath opens every channel on the Revanites’ computer networks and databases, allowing both Lana and Theron to sift through the data from their separate locations. 

“Jackpot,” Theron says over the comlink, after the Wrath has compromised security in one of the Revanites’ control rooms. “I just found rosters of the Revanites for both factions. If you can take down the shields and restore outside communication, we can warn both fleets.” 

”Is anyone from the Dark Council on it?” the Wrath asks. 

”Nope. Apparently Arkous was the only one."

”That makes me happy. Just wanted to know that. Right, back to work.” 

* 

By the time the Wrath and Vette are halfway through the compound they’ve learned of the Revanites’ plans, and it becomes clear that they’re running out of time. The Revanites have manipulated hyperspace lanes to force both Imperial and Republic ships into the same airspace; they are intent on annihilating both. Sure enough, cruisers and destroyers with Sith and Jedi seals begin to gather in the sky overhead and open fire on each other.

After the Wrath finally breaks down the shields and reprograms the cannons to attack the Revanites’s ships, she darts to the nearest console and pulls up the holo. 

”Vette, cover me while I try to get a signal."

”On it, geez. This isn’t my first large-scale assault on an enemy base filled with vicious opponents, after all.” 

“Does anyone read me?” the Wrath says, trying one open channel after the next. “Emperor’s Wrath, hailing Imperial vessels.” 

”I am here.” Darth Marr appears on the holo and waits for her to speak. 

“This is a setup,” the Wrath says. “The ships without call signs that are currently firing on you belong to the Revanites. They want to destroy the Empire and the Republic alike.” 

“And you are on Rishi, and aware of all this.” Marr says, keeping his voice neutral. 

”There’s very little time to explain, but we’ve been working to try to stop this and save the Empire. You and the Republic fleet have been brought to Rishi deliberately. The Revanites wanted you to kill each other, and they were waiting down here to pick off the survivors of the fleet battle. And there are traitors in your midst who have been working with them; traitors on your flagship and in the fleet right now. We just sent a list through. I’ve reprogrammed the ground cannons to fire only on Revanite ships and cleared out this base, and my allies have harvested all the data they can, but there’s far more to do.” 

Marr turns to the console beside him. “Power down all weapons. Cease the assault. Lock all shuttle bays and escape pods and apprehend the individuals on this roster. _Now._ ” The Wrath exhales as the Imperial ships above her stop firing. 

”…finally, an open channel.” Satele Shan appears on the holo next to Marr. 

”It seems we have been set upon one another by your ancestor,” Marr tells her. 

”Yes, I’ve just been informed by one of my agents in Rishi. We have traitors on board; we will be dealing with them.” 

”As will we. Given the magnitude of this issue, I think we should speak in person,” Marr says. 

”Someplace neutral.” 

”There’s a safe house in Raiders' Cove, on the surface of Rishi, that might work. We’ll send coordinates. Can I have both of your words that everyone within the building will be spared any aggression?” Marr and Shan nod and the holo blinks out. 

Viri exhales and opens a closed channel. “Lana.” 

”I heard Theron on the holo; I know they’re all going to Raiders’ Cove. I’ve already packed up the hut; Jakarro’s ship is coming to collect me. Can you and Vette take a shuttle back to the city?” 

“Yes. I will probably get there after you, but I’ll steal a shuttle and be there soon. I asked Marr and Shan to agree to honor the ‘safe’ part of the safe house…do you think you will be okay there?” 

”Yes,” Lana smiles on the holo. “I’m in contact with Marr’s flagship right now, actually.” 

”I’m so glad. I was worried about that.” 

“Don’t worry. Just join us in Raiders’ Cove. See you soon.” 

*

By the time the Wrath and Vette reach the safe house in Raiders’ Cove, the meeting is already well underway and Satele Shan and Darth Marr are deep in conversation. 

”…I doubt I will be able to convince the entire Dark Council to offer any support,” Marr says. “But my people are loyal to me. We have the Wrath, and I can think of another Council member who may be willing to join us.” 

”Similarly, I do not think I am going to be able to get the Senate or the Jedi Council to touch this,” Satele Shan replies. "I do have my personal fleet and can summon allies who would be sympathetic to this cause.” 

”It seems we have an accord, then. Until this is over, we…are allies. There will be no fighting for any reason between our factions, and we will leave peacefully afterward. I’ve had my droids record this meeting so we have proof; I am sure you had been recording as well.” Lana, Theron and Viri are treated to a sight they’d never imagined possible: Darth Marr and Satele Shan, shaking hands. 

Satele turns her attention to the doorway, where the Wrath and Vette have been quietly listening. “Ah. The Wrath.” 

”Grand Master.” The Wrath nods. 

”As much as we’ve had our differences in the past, I am grateful for your assistance here. I think you may have joined us after most of our discussion, but as you may already know, your allies have revealed that the Revanites are planning something significant on Yavin 4. We need to converge there.” 

”Thank you, Master Shan. This is important to all of us, and I’m happy to assist.” 

“Wrath, I see only your Twi’lek friend with you. Where is the rest of your crew?” Marr asks her. 

”Jaesa’s been training in Korriban, Pierce has been working with the reinstated black ops, and Treek and Broonmark have been traveling and hunting on Alderaan. I was planning on calling on all of them.” 

”Good. Give me their coordinates and I’ll have them brought in with my people so you can head directly to Yavin 4.” 

”Is there a chance that Nox would be interested in joining us?”

”That’s exactly my hope.” 

“And…Darth Marr, there’s one last matter we haven’t covered yet,” the Wrath says. “The bounties on Lana and Jakarro. I want them removed immediately.”

”They already have been, Wrath,” Marr tells her. “Lana Beniko has not only been exonerated but I have put her in for a commendation.” 

”Thank you, my lord,” Lana says. 

”The same holds true for my agent,” Satele Shan says. “The SIS has already updated their files on him.” 

”That’s a relief,” the Wrath tells her. 

“Now that this matter is taken care of, we must leave for Yavin 4, Wrath,” Marr says. 

”We’ll clean up here and be right along, my lord,” Lana says, and bows slightly as Marr, Shan and their entourages sweep out of the room. 

* 

The minute Marr and Satele leave, Theron begins pacing the room. 

”Theron? How are you?” Viri ventures. 

“Her agent.” Theron spits the words out. “She calls me her _agent._ ”

“Theron, I don’t know enough about your situation overall to judge it, and I don’t want to try,” says Viri. “But for whatever it’s worth, I didn’t like how you were treated in there. You’ve accomplished the impossible and you’re smart and dedicated. Any parent should feel proud to have you as their son and shout to the galaxy about it. I know that doesn’t mean much coming from me, but I hope you’ll take it, anyway. And I hope…I don’t actually know what would make things easier for you with Satele, but I hope that they are not as difficult on Yavin.” 

”Thank you.” Theron looks stunned. 

”I don’t know if you want to hear from me right now, Theron, but I agree with Viri,” Lana says. “You’ve achieved much, and your mother should be proud of you. It’s her loss, not yours.” 

”I suppose she should be proud I escaped from the Revanites’ compound when my supposed ally set me up for capture, too?” Theron snaps. “Where’s the trust?” 

”I made a calculated decision for the success of the mission,” Lana says. 

”If you’d asked me, I would have volunteered!” Theron rages. 

“If you knew, the Revanites might have figured it out, and they would have killed you,” Viri says quietly. 

”Were you in on this too, Viri? Was that why you were conveniently at that Mandalorian compound?” Theron glares at her. 

”Trust me, there was nothing convenient about Shae Vizla’s compound,” Viri says, crossing her arms. “No, I didn’t know about it. To be honest…I don’t know if I like it. But I understand Lana’s line of reasoning. All the same…I think you owe Theron an apology, Lana.” 

Lana glares. “At the risk of sounding egotistical, I will not apologize for being right.” 

“Lana.” 

Lana exhales and glowers at Viri again. “I recognize I have betrayed your trust, Theron. For that, I am sorry. Truly. Now…we have a long trip to Yavin. I suggest we move on.”

”I agree,” Theron says. “Jakarro. Let’s ready the ship for departure.” 

”We’ll be there in a moment,” Viri says. “Lana…I’d like a word with you in private.” 

* 

Lana perches on the edge of the table; Viri paces in front of her. She’s still angry with Viri, and they both feel it. 

”Lana, I’d be angry too. I know your strategy, and yes, it worked, but you had to know that Theron would feel completely betrayed. Then add in Satele, and the coldness she shows toward her own child. I wasn’t trying to embarrass you or pull rank by asking you to apologize. I was trying to start us on the road to repairing that friendship and to remind Theron that he did have some allies in that room.” 

The rage dissipates. 

“I suppose,” Lana admits. “Trust is rare. Friendship, even harder to find. Theron trusted me, and I don’t think he ever will again.” 

”He might, if he knew how hard this was on you.”

Lana smiles slightly. “That would require putting my guard down entirely. I can never do that. Not with Theron. When this is over, if we survive, we’ll be back to working at cross purposes. There’s no other way. You know that, Viri.” 

”I do,” Viri admits, “But still.” 

”The conflict between the Empire and Republic does get frustrating,” Lana says. “There are talented people on both sides and if we worked together, we could accomplish much.” 

”I would just be happy if we could work together within the Sith Empire,” Viri admits. “Dark Council members like Marr are angling for change. The question becomes, will the status quo allow it. I hope so. And I hope we’ll both be there to see it.” 

”Together.”

Viri grins. “I’d like that.” 

”I have a confession to make to you, Viri.” 

”Yes?”

”When we first met…I knew our fates were going to be intertwined completely. The minute you walked into Darth Arkous’s office, I knew you.” 

”I felt the same,” Viri says, lacing her fingers with Lana’s. “I didn’t need him to introduce us. We already knew each other intimately. It scared me, how immediately connected we were.”

“Strong bonds are often frightening in their intensity…but I think in this case, it’s worth it.” 

“Yes, it is,” Viri says, gazing into Lana’s eyes. 

I’ve tried to maintain my poise; deny my senses. But I can’t. Not any more. You…told me that I make you vulnerable in a way you’ve never seen.”

”You do.” 

”It’s mutual, dear one.” 

Viri smiles. “Maybe we shouldn’t deny our senses anymore.” She leans in and kisses Lana full on the mouth. No hesitation. No fear. Just her lips against Lana’s, and a spark that makes them both gasp as they pull away, and then come back together. Viri opens her mouth, encouraging Lana to do the same. As the kiss deepens, Lana feels herself falling into Viri, mind and soul. _This is why she waited. This is why she was afraid. Because this alone is sublime enough to overwhelm us…_

Viri’s hands roam across Lana’s back, and she sighs into the kiss. Lana is fire and affection on her lips. Desire. Caring. Lana’s arms, wrapped around her; Lana’s body against her own. She’s never felt anything quite as exquisite as this woman pressed to her, and for a moment, it’s almost enough to completely overwhelm her. She can’t help but moan softly as they come up for air, staring at Lana with hooded eyes. 

”It’s true what they say: patience is its own reward,” Lana murmurs. “You…that wasn’t a kiss. It was something else, entirely. Divine.”

Viri leans her forehead against Lana’s and kisses her again, gently. “I find I can’t stop doing this now.” 

“I hope you won’t,” Lana says, kissing her back. Viri’s lips are soft and warm; she tastes of adrenaline, affection and lust. 

A knock on the door makes them both flinch. 

”We should go,” Viri says, very reluctantly. 

”I’ll make sure Theron and Jakarro are ready for departure. Every moment wasted is a moment in Revan’s favor. Not that this is wasted time. Not at all.” Lana cups Viri’s cheek again. 

“Lana? No pressure, but…you know, my personal ship is in the spaceport. We’re going to the same place as Jakarro and Theron, and my ship is just as fast as theirs. I have plenty of room, and it’s very comfortable. You’re welcome to travel with me, and to use my ship for camp once we arrive. It will probably take days to get to Yavin, and it would be nice to have you there.” 

“That’s an excellent idea, Viri,” Lana smiles. “I’ll let Theron and Jakarro know about my new travel plans and grab my things from their ship.”


	18. In Flight

Lana follows Viri onto her ship. It’s compact but obviously cutting-edge; there’s still a comfortable-lived in feel to it. 

”What class is this,. Viri?” 

”Fury,” Viri replies. “This one was a prototype for the class, actually. It’s had some upgrades since then. It’s a good ship, and it’s served me well. 

“Once Vette and I have the ship in hyperspace, and make sure our route is being covered and linked to Darth Marr’s flagship, I’ll give you the tour, and you can decide where you’d like to stay. That wing is just the cargo hold and the generator. The common ‘fresher is that way; the kitchen’s over there. The crew quarters are in here. There’s a library in the common area, along with the Holonet and some gaming tables. As to where you can sleep…there are options. There are some beds in the med bay, if you would prefer your own room. We have a lot of extra blankets; we can make those beds really comfortable for you. And…”

“Why can’t I stay in your cabin?” Lana asks with a touch of amusement, enjoying the way Viri’s cheeks immediately turn red. 

”You can, of course,” Viri stammers. “I just didn’t want to assume anything.” 

”Assume away,” Lana chuckles. “Show me where we’re sleeping.” 

* 

”Welcome to my cabin,” announces Viri. “You can put your bags down over there. The door to my private fresher is in the corner. There are a few extra armor hooks on that wall, if you need to hang anything up. Make yourself at home.” 

Lana walks through the cabin, taking it in. There’s a table cluttered with holo-portraits, and, inexplicably, a small banner for the Coronet Zoo hangs on one wall. The door to Viri’s supply locker is open, and Lana can see that it’s stuffed to capacity with clothes of all colors and fabrics. There’s a small Holonet monitor on Viri’s desk, and a corner of the room appears to have been set up for meditation and practice. 

“Are these your parents?” Lana asks, gesturing to one of the holo-portraits. 

”Yes,” Viri says with a smile. 

“And this one?” Lana points to a holo of a young Viri standing before a waterfall. 

“Oh, that’s when I lived in Naboo. I swam at that waterfall every day, almost, and I wanted to remember it.”

”I always did want to ask you about that. I thought you were from Corellia, and was curious that your Intel file mentioned Naboo.” 

”My father’s family is from Naboo, but my parents worked in one of the Imperial cells in Corellia, and I was born there. When I was seven, they were both assigned to one of the Imperial cruisers, though. They couldn’t bring me along, so I went to live with my grandmother in Naboo and attended the Dark Temple there. When I was about ten, my mother’s tour ended, so I went back to Corellia. She was a veterinarian at the Coronet Zoo for years, and went back to the Imperial Science Service when I left for Lower Academy.”

“Ah. I was wondering about that banner.” 

”The zoo was badly damaged during the war,” reflects Viri. “Many of the animals were killed. I was in Corellia at the time, fighting for the Empire, and it was incredibly difficult. Those weren’t wild beasts, Lana. They were friends I knew, with names and personalities. I tried to save as many as I could.”

“Corellia suffered greatly in the latest conflicts,” Lana says softly, rubbing Viri’s shoulder. “I can imagine it was difficult to see those creatures in pain.” 

”What about you? You told me you’ve always lived on Dromund Kaas, but that’s about all.” 

”I was born and raised in Kaas City. My parents were entrepreneurs,” Lana says. “They knew how to talk to people and how to make deals, and the projects they took on were usually profitable. It was pleasant, if uneventful, for me. I was given freedom to do as I wished most of the time. My parents had satellite offices on Ziost, so we spent some time there, but always came back to Kaas City. I was able to stay there until I was sent to Korriban.”

“So that’s why you didn’t like the weather in Rishi,” Viri says with a grin. “Not enough thunderstorms?” 

”No,” laughs Lana. “Not nearly enough. And it was way too bright. After several decades of constant rain, one doesn’t know what to make of clear skies. Forget the slugs and deranged tomb inhabitants on Korriban, I was nearly taken down by the sun there.”

“I think I would have cleared the entire Valley, if only someone had given me a hat,” Viri said. “Even with the sunshade implant.” 

”You have one too? I got that after Korriban. Never saw the need before, but Korriban was decidedly unpleasant.”

“Oh yes. I got a sunburn that landed me in the med bay when I was about four, so it was recommended then. I don’t think I could do without it. Even with that, I have to stay out of the sun or cover my eyes, if I can help it,” Viri says. 

”Amazing to think that when I was this young, the Force had already touched me,” Lana says, looking at the portraits again. 

”What would you have done, if you weren’t Force sensitive?” Viri asks. 

”You know, I’ve never considered that. As long as I can remember, I’ve known the Force. It manifested before I could walk or talk. I’ve always been on this path. Hypothetically, though, I think would have wanted to join the Imperial Reclamation Service.” 

”I worked with them on Tatooine. They do some amazing things.”

”I think so, too. What would you have done?” 

”I wanted to become a veterinarian or a biochemist, like my parents. When my mother worked at the zoo, she let me come in on the weekends to help her care for the animals.”

”When did you know the Force?” 

”I was three when it manifested. I don’t really remember it, but apparently it was a bit of a disaster. I had tantrums, lots of them, and when the Force was added to that, there were…accidents.” Viri perches on the edge of the table and props her chin on her hands. 

”You were as much of a brat as a child as you are now, you mean?” Lana chuckles. 

”Oh, I was far _more_ impossible. But it got dangerous. If I panicked, if I was angry, if I was simply frustrated with something…you can guess. I didn’t hurt anyone else, but I damaged a fair amount of property, and I injured _myself_ more than once.” Viri traces the scar on her cheek with a finger. “This scar’s a souvenir, actually. I blew up a speeder, and the debris hit me in the face. And my poor parents had no idea how to deal with the Force. They worked under Darth Merwo at the time, and decided to confide in her. She was able to get through to me.” 

”That could have ended very badly,” Lana says. 

”I’m very fortunate that it didn’t. Luckily she was the sort of Sith who actually did want to help, and not twist me into her own little monster. She put me under the Temple’s protection so the Jedi wouldn’t get me, and helped me learn to channel my anger and frustration.”

“I was wondering how one would evade the Jedi on Corellia, if one were a Force-sensitive child.” 

”Oh, they came calling once, right before Darth Merwo got me my credentials. My parents fought them and called the local Imperial guard, and that was that. Merwo herself showed up to ensure they wouldn’t carry me off…because they tried to. But they were smart enough not to mess with any child who carried the mark of the Dark Temple. Not on Corellia, at least. Once I had that, I was left alone,” Viri said. “There were actually Republic citizens who came to Corellia to enroll their children with the Sith too, if they had the right connections, because they didn’t want them spirited away by the Jedi. Being a Jedi meant they’d never get to see their parents again. Being a Sith meant they got to stay at home and attend a school in Corellia.” 

“So you were sent to this school?”

“Yes. Once I’d calmed down enough to play well with others, Merwo got me set up for the children’s classes at the Dark Temple. Which of course was concealed under another name. We wore Corellian uniforms, even.”

”I remember those classes in Kaas City,” Lana chuckles. “Did you have to do the silly float-the-rings-across-the-room exercise?” 

”Oh Force, every. Damn. Day. I wanted to set fire to those rings. And we couldn’t go to the fresher unless we asked in Sith.” 

”I forgot about that, yes!” Lana laughs. “A language that is millennia old and represents vast power, and the first thing you learn is to ask permission to pee. Sad, isn’t it?” 

”It’s just what Tulak Hord was hoping for, I’m sure,” Viri laughs. “I haven’t seen any holos of you as a kid. I bet you were adorable. And you had…green eyes, didn’t you? I can see it.” 

“Yes! I did.” Lana fishes into her pocket. “Here.” She shows Viri a small holo-locket. When activated, an image of a small blonde girl with braids, who is very obviously Lana, appears. Young Lana is grinning, showing off a mouth that has lost several baby teeth. Her parents stand behind her.

”Awww, you’re so cute. Look at that smile!” 

“Want to know the best part?”

”Tell me.” 

”I specifically wanted them to take a picture this day _because_ I’d lost all those baby teeth. I thought I looked great.”

“You did,” Viri laughs. “That’s just fantastic. I love that your parents went along with it.” 

”They were good parents,” Lana said. “The only time they were ever disappointed in me was when I told them I didn’t want children.” 

”Mine too,” Viri says. “I think they were dreaming of enjoying a house full of impossible grandchildren. I don’t mind being around other people’s kids, but I’ve never had the desire to be a parent. It’s not for me.” 

”You really don’t want kids?” 

“Nope. You?” 

”We’re on the same page. I love it.” 

”Excellent, one thing we’ve resolved before the wedding!” Viri’s face is serious.

” _What?!_ ” 

”I’m joking, silly. Remind me to show you Vette’s file of wedding clothes, though. She’s picked out stuff for both of us, plus herself and the rest of my crew, and created a cross-referenced list of possible ceremony locations,” Viri laughs. ”As much as I really, really like you, I don’t think we’ve crossed that bridge yet. But I just adore Vette for being so enthusiastic. You have no idea how happy she was when we finally came together.”

”We’re a bit of a distance from that particular bridge, yes,” Lana says, chuckling.

“While we’re waiting to cross it…are you hungry? I’m starving. And I have to get out of this armor,” Viri says, removing her gauntlets. “I haven’t changed or showered since I tangled with the Revanites. There’s that library in the common area, and there’s the Holonet, or you can just hang here, but this smoke stench on my clothes has to go…” 

”Do what you need to do,” Lana says, smiling. “I’ll look around.” 

”Feel free to use the armor hooks if you’d like to change, too. You can leave your armor on that side if you’d like it cleaned. I usually have the ship droid clean and repair my armor overnight and Vette cross-checks it; I can ask if she’d do the same for yours.” Viri disappears into the fresher. 

Left to her own devices, Lana changes into her simple mercenary outfit and hangs her armor and boots on a hook to be cleaned. She finds herself wandering through the ship. Vette is fast asleep in her alcove in the crew quarters, worn out from the battle against the Revanites. The ship droid is in the galley, busily assembling components for an evening meal, and a second droid is piloting. 

Lana finally finds the library, and begins to browse the titles on offer. Viri apparently is a fan of ancient Sith literature and poetry, because they comprise more than half of the books. There are memoirs – pirates, Sith lords, and astonishingly, even a Jedi’s life story. Lana downloads several to her datapad and returns to Viri’s room. She’s curled up on Viri’s bed, immersed in a memoir, when Viri finally emerges from the fresher, wrapped in a bathrobe. 

”Find anything good to read?” Viri asks, walking to her supply locker and gathering clothes. Her hair is wet from her shower, her face is scrubbed clean of makeup, and Lana has the sudden urge to kiss her. 

”Yes, you have some interesting books,” Lana says. “I saw some titles by a Tullia Dragoi. A relative of yours?” 

”My mother. The ones by Andres Revarre – that’s my father. They’re mostly very technical scientific texts, but my mother also did a few memoirs about the wild animals she worked with. I like reading them from time to time. It’s like hearing them talk to me again. I miss them.” 

”I miss mine, too,” Lana says quietly, getting up to pace. 

”What happened?” Viri says, putting her arm around Lana. 

”Random violence. There was a Hutt Cartel battle in the middle of a busy shipping lane, and their shuttle got caught in the crossfire. I was about 25, and a new apprentice, and it was incredibly hard to handle.” 

”I’m sorry.” Viri hugs Lana to her. “I would have found that hard to handle, too.” 

”What happened to your parents? I assume they’re not---“ 

“They both contracted an incurable illness. Let’s leave it there, for the time being. It’s not easy for me to discuss, because they died horribly. It was…not fast. I was in Academy at the time, and when a few of the other acolytes found out, they went out of their way to rub it in.” 

”Not a surprise, sadly.” 

Viri looks down for a moment, and when she raises her head, she’s smiling again. “So, you had a chance to look around the ship? What did you think?” 

“I like it. It’s very cozy. What’s with the hammock in the cargo hold?”

”Oh, that’s Broonmark’s. He thinks sleeping in a bed is too civilized and too ‘human.’ So he camps in the cargo hold. That seems to be mutually agreeable to everyone,” Viri laughs. 

”Makes sense,” Lana says. 

“Everyone tends to spread out on the ship,” Viri says, as she dresses. She and Lana have been dressing in the same room for weeks; the nudity no longer concerns either of them. ”Vette's got her own wing set up in the crew quarters, and Pierce and Treek just grabthe bunk beds. Jaesa likes to sleep in the med bay, when she’s not, ahem, being entertained somewhere else.” 

”Does that happen often?” Lana asks. 

Viri laughs. “Jae tends to take the ‘through passion I gain strength’ part of our Code rather literally. She’s trying to find herself, and if that’s part of her journey, I won’t judge.”

”Fair enough,” Lana says. “And she’s on Korriban right now?” 

”Yes, she’s working with the archivists who are restoring the library. From what I’ve heard, she’s also been helping some of the acolytes with their saber skills. She’s getting a lot out of it.”

”It sounds like it,” Lana says. 

“I’ll be glad to see Jae again, and the others,” Viri says, stretching her hands in the air. “All the same…I wish it could be just us, for a while. I wish we weren’t on a mission. I am glad we have this trip to Yavin. Three days, just us…” 

”You want to run away with me?” Lana asks, amused. 

“I would,” Viri says. 

“This will have to do for now, I think,” Lana says, and grabs Viri by the belt to draw her closer. “We should make the most of it, before we have to actually concentrate on work. The running away together idea has merit, though. I think I might find that most…enlivening,” 

“Can I kiss you again?” 

“Of course you can. I’ve been hoping you would,” Lana says. The kiss is more heated than the ones they’d shared in Rishi, and Lana can’t help but pull Viri toward the bed. They hit the mattress at the same time, and Lana stretches out at Viri’s side.

”Hello there,” Viri smiles, breaking away from the kiss to search Lana’s face. 

”Hello to you too,” Lana grins. She traces Viri’s lips with her finger. “How’s it going?” 

”I’m so glad I finally did this,” Viri says. “But I don’t know how to process it.” 

”Here’s my suggestion: stop thinking. Just feel,” Lana replies. She kisses Viri, again and again, and gently rolls them both until Viri is stretched out on top of her. Viri immediately settles her legs on either side of Lana, allowing them to get closer to each other, and she moans as Lana’s hands explore her back and hips. Their bond sparks, and Viri swallows hard as she allows herself to feel Lana beneath her. Her hands tug at the scarf around Lana’s neck. 

”You’re welcome to take that off, you know,” Lana says wryly, kissing the tip of Viri’s nose.

“Really? Are you sure?” 

”You’re not sure how to read these cues, are you?”

”Not at all. It would actually help if we clarified things.” 

Lana rolls away from Viri and sits up. “All right. First thing: I think your shyness is adorable, but you actually don’t have to be so tentative with me. If I don’t like something, or want you to stop, I’ll tell you. The words “no” and “stop” will mean exactly that for me, and unless you tell me otherwise, I’ll assume they mean the same for you. If you want me to stop or slow down, it’s fine, and no, I won’t be impatient about it, just let me know. I’m listening to our bond, and to you, but articulating things helps both of us. You can tell me how far you want something to go, and I’ll respect that. Also, if you do have any hard limits – anything you really don’t want to do, or ground rules, let me know, and I’ll do the same.” 

Viri rests her head on her elbows. “I…wow. I shouldn’t be doing this to you, Lana. I’m sorry. We’re both adults. This should be simple…” 

”No. You’re being honest, and that’s all I ask from you.” Lana reaches out to put one hand on Viri’s head. “Simple? Nothing about you is simple. It’s one reason why I like you. We’ll work through this. I have a feeling, once we do…it will be incredible. So. Hard limits?”

”Don’t hurt me,” Viri says. “I think I’d be fairly open to new things, as long as I’m asked, but harsh words, pulling hair, pain, things of that nature…not a fan. You?”

”Much the same, actually,” Lana says. “I’ll never hurt you; you never hurt me. Seems like a good boundary, don’t you think?” 

”Yes.” Viri bites her lip as she looks at Lana. 

”Now that we have settled that…” Lana puts Viri’s hands on her scarf, and then slides them down her chest, and back up again. 

Viri slowly, and very seriously, unravels Lana’s scarf from her neck and tosses it to one side. She reaches out one hand, pulls it back, and seems to be deciding what to do next.

“Stop thinking. Feel, Viri.” Lana leans forward and kisses Viri on the cheek for encouragement. “I see those wheels turning in your brain. It’s not a battle strategy.”

Viri’s eyes flutter shut as she runs her hands across Lana’s shoulders, cups the back of her head, and pulls her in for a kiss. Lana immediately responds, wrapping her arms around Viri and climbing into her lap. She rocks gently against Viri as she kisses her, nodding when Viri reacts in kind and snakes her hands around Lana’s back to press her closer. 

Viri’s mouth trails across Lana’s jaw and down her neck, kissing and nipping as she goes. When Lana gasps she stops where she is, enjoying the sweet spot she’s found before returning to her lips.

“You want to stay where we are for a while?” asks Lana, stroking Viri’s cheek. “There’s much to explore, just with this.” Viri nods shyly before kissing her again. 

They don’t stop until the ship droid tentatively knocks on their door, calling them to dinner.


	19. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lovely artwork of Viri and Lana was created on commission from the wonderful http://joann-cha.tumblr.com/ Original reference pose from @starcre8tor.tumblr.com
> 
>  _Tyûk_ is the Sith word for "strength."
> 
> There's a fade-to-black in this chapter; the content for that has been posted as a separate, M-rated story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/13188105. Since "An Open Affinity" is rated T, I didn't want to throw an M in here.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has continued to read and offer encouragement! It means a lot. :)

Art by http://joann-cha.tumblr.com. Reference pose from starcre8tor.tumblr.com. Art posted here with artist's permission.

 

Viri blinks and opens her eyes in the darkness of her cabin. The ambient lights are on – cool blue along the perimeter of the ceiling- and they illuminate the face of the woman sleeping next to her.

 _Lana._ Viri smiles as she gazes at the Sith. Her blonde hair –always a bit messy – is in total disarray, half covering her eyes. During their earlier explorations, both she and Lana had ended up divesting themselves of their clothing, and the light paints azure shadows on Lana’s skin. The cool air of the room seems to be making her shiver, so Viri wraps a blanket around her shoulders.

”Hello, you.” Lana’s voice is soft as she opens her eyes and smiles at Viri. “Tucking me in?”

”You looked cold,” Viri says, just as softly.

“Come here and keep me warm, then,” Lana grins.

”That works, too,” Viri says, and burrows under the covers with Lana. The feel of Lana’s soft skin against hers is still a shock to her senses, and when a frission runs through her, it has nothing to do with the temperature of the cabin. Lana’s head fits in the hollow of Viri’s shoulder, as though it belongs there, but she jumps as Lana’s hand ghosts across her stomach.

”What?” Lana looks up, alarmed.

“Oh, no, nothing’s wrong, but my stomach is really sensitive,” Viri says. “Have never figured that one out, but it is. I didn’t mean to jump there, but it was really intense.”

Lana sweeps her hand in a slow circle over Viri’s stomach, feeling it twitch under her touch. “Good?”

”Yes,” Viri says, her voice just above a whisper.

Muscles criss-cross Viri’s abdomen, but her skin is soft…far softer than Lana had expected. Her thumb dips into Viri’s navel and traces the edges.

“Lana…” Viri whispers. “I don’t know how to process this.” The bond sparks with desire, mixed with confusion.

“Feel. Don’t think.” Lana locks eyes with Viri as she continues stroking her stomach. “Tell me what you want.”

”Kiss me?”

Lana smiles and leans over to kiss Viri’s navel, enjoying her cry of surprise.

”You didn’t specify _where,_ my dear.”

“Up here.”

“As you wish,” Lana smiles and kisses her, again and again, until the ship droid rings their cabin and calls them both to breakfast.

*

The daily routine on Viri’s ship is similar enough to Lana’s regimen that she adapts quickly. There’s sparring, meditation, a few hours spent monitoring Viri’s interests around the galaxy, and various holocalls to the Wrath's allies. Marr’s flagship and Jakarro each check in with them once, but due to fears about encryption, Marr pointedly insists that any planning or further research on the Revanites or the coalition must happen only on Yavin 4.

Viri takes shifts on the bridge and ship maintenance, which surprises Lana. She finds her at the ship’s console in the late afternoon, her eyes trained on the monitors.

”I thought you had a ship droid to fly this,” Lana says, sitting down beside her.

”Oh, Seventeen does fly it, but we work with him every day to set course. When the whole crew is here, at least one of us is on the bridge at all times. With just Vette and myself that’s not possible, but we still check in here every day. As for the maintenance, it’s the same strategy, we all pitch in and cross-check each other. This ship is my joy. It’s perhaps the only truly nice thing Baras ever did for me, even though even that had an ulterior motive.” Viri checks another reading and adjusts the course slightly.

”I don’t know how to fly a ship of this class, but if you want to show me a few things, I’m glad to help,” Lana says.

”Sure,” Viri says, smiling. “I appreciate that. I can start you on...let me think…what do you know how to fly? I’ll be honest: before I got this ship my only experience was with flying shuttles. It was a learning curve, and Vette and I relied very heavily on Seventeen. Even though Malavai Quinn was a traitor, he did get everyone on the crew, including myself, up to speed with piloting and navigating. I’ll thank him for that, freely.”

”Is that one of the reasons Baras engaged him, I wonder?”

”I wouldn’t be surprised,” Viri says, sitting back in her chair. “An Imperial officer shows up who just happens to know how to fly the prototype ship that the Darth has just given his apprentice. Things that make you go hmm, yes?”

“It all worked out, it seems,” Lana smiles. “As to your question, I was able to help co-pilot Jakarro’s freighter, I’m an excellent shuttle pilot and I do know how to operate shields and support services on cruiser – level ships, although nobody ever asks me to do that unless it’s an emergency. It was required on Darth Arkous’s flagship a few times.”

”You have a head start, then,” Viri says with a laugh. “The Fury has a few features that are different, but it's not that difficult once you understand it. Let me set you up with the nav computer and show you.”

”Your ship doesn’t have a name, does it? Just the class name?”

”Officially it’s just the Fury, yes.”

”I’m surprised you haven’t named it.”

”I’ve wanted to,” Viri admits, “But nothing sticks with me. I’m half tempted to take Vette’s suggestion and call it the Happy Sleen just to mess with Imperial Command. Can't you picture Darth Marr or Darth Ravage, having to hail the Happy Sleen?”

Lana laughs. “That would be something, but perhaps it’s not in line with your work face. Maybe a Sith name?”

“I’ll have to think on it,” Viri says. “I like the idea of calling it the _Tyûk,_ but would anyone even be able to pronounce that? I don’t want some poor ensign being Force choked because a Sith heard them saying it wrong and was pissed off about it.”

“I really like that,” Lana says. “Maybe we could transliterate it into Aurebesh phonetically, so it would be easier for a non-Sith speaker to get. The Sith who heard it would be happy, and would understand, I think. There are all sorts of arguments about translations to Basic as it is, so nobody could legitimately claim that the Aurebesh spelling you use is incorrect.”

“That’s inspired, Lana,” Viri says, grinning. “To the _Tyûk_.”

”Indeed, to the _Tyûk_! Can I kiss the captain?”

”The captain won’t mind,” Viri laughs, drawing her close for a satisfying kiss.

“When is the captain off duty?” Lana murmurs.

”Vette’s taking over in about two hours,” Viri says, kissing her again. “In the meantime, I could use the company here, if you want to familiarize yourself with that nav computer and shields.”

”All right,” Lana smiles, and settles down to acquaint herself with Viri’s ship. The two work in companionable silence until they switch shifts with Vette.

*

No sooner does Viri start back toward her cabin than Vette summons her back to the main room.

“Viri, we’re being hailed by Darth Nox’s flagship.”

”Put them through, Vette.” Darth Nox is one of the few Council members Viri genuinely likes, and she is glad to hear from her.

Lana stands in a corner of the room, out of eyeshot of the holo, but she watches carefully. She’s never seen Nox up close, but has heard stories about her. Twi’lek. Former slave. 25 years old, which is astounding. Lana had excelled quickly at the Sith Academy, but at 25 she’d been a mere apprentice, and she doesn’t think she ever would have been able to handle the Dark Council at that point, much less take down Darth Thanaton. The Dark Councilor’s vast power is evident even on the holo image.

“Hello, Wrath.”

”Hello, Nox. What can I help you with?”

”I’ve had an illuminating chat with Darth Marr, and I’m en route to our coalition with Moff Pyron and my fleet. I was wondering if you’d be interested in combining our personal crews and planning their roles for this mission. Before we get to the meeting point and have to deal with Marr and the others, it might help to have the details squared away.”

”Wise thinking, Nox,” the Wrath smiles. “Vette’s my second; I can’t give her up. I’d imagine Ashara’s non-negotiable for you. Otherwise, let’s coordinate.”

”Yes, exactly,” says Nox. “I wanted to ask about Jaesa. I’ll be investigating the Sith lore and rituals that our opponents plan to use. I’ve brought along some key people from the Imperial Reclamation Service, and Talos will be supervising them, under me. Would you mind if I borrowed Jaesa for our team? I think she would be an asset.”

”If Jaesa has no objections – and I don’t think she will – that would be a very good match for her. I do need strong Sith for my strike team, though, so it’s on the understanding that if I require her for a battle, she will need to take her leave temporarily. Is there any chance Xalek and Khem would be available for that strike team?”

”Absolutely. Jaesa’s first priority will be your needs. Xalek will be thrilled to work with you – he respects you greatly, Wrath – and I am sure I can convince Khem with the promise of devouring some Force users...from what I've been told there are plenty among the opposition ranks.”

”I’m glad to have both of them on board. I’m planning on assigning Treek and Broonmark to scouting duty; they and Andronikos might be a good team. Treek worked as a mercenary so she and Andronikos probably have a lot of the same tactics.”

”Pyron’s excited to hear that Lt. Pierce is part of your crew. He heard about the Bastion assault and was most impressed. Do you think Pierce would be willing to collaborate?”

”With Pyron? Of course. Pierce appreciates creativity, and Pyron has it.”

”Excellent. That seems to take care of everyone. It’s always a pleasure working with you, Wrath.”

”Likewise. I’m glad you’ll be joining us. Any chance you’ll be coaxed onto that strike team? I’ve seen you. You’re good.”

”Yes, if I can,” Nox says with a smile. “Sitting with the artifacts all day makes both Ashara and me restless. I want Ashara to use this opportunity to improve her combat skills, and I’m most comfortable if we go out together.”

“Good. I actually think that would benefit Jae, as well.”

”I hear you have Lana Beniko with you,” Nox says casually.

Viri doesn’t have to turn away from the holo to see Lana’s face; she feels the tension rise in their bond.

”Yes. She and the SIS spy will be assisting Marr and Satele Shan directly. I filed an edict with the Dark Council, placing her under my protection in my capacity as the Wrath. Anyone who even thinks of hurting her will answer to me.”

Lana’s jaw drops.

“Your concern does you credit, Wrath,” Nox says, “I know her name has been cleared. I’m not interested in hurting her. To be honest, given my own background, I wasn’t particularly concerned about apprehending her even when the bounty was active. The Council was being hypocritical in supporting it, considering how many of us got our seats. The Empire owes her a great debt, and she should be proud of her work.”

”Thank you, my lord,” Lana says quietly, emerging from the doorway.

”You’re most welcome, Lord Beniko,” Nox says. “I feel you’ve earned a promotion. I notice you’re not a Darth yet…”

”With all respect, Dark Lord, no thank you.” Lana bows. “I know it’s a generous offer, and I’m honored you’d consider me for the title, but I’m not interested.”

“You’re most unusual,” Nox observes. “You’re powerful with or without it. If you ever change your mind, however, you have a Darth title waiting from me. Wrath, Lord Beniko, I’ll see you both at the meeting point. Looking forward to working with you. Nox out.” The holo flickers off.

”Lord Beniko.” Lana shudders. “I suppose everyone’s going to be calling me that on Yavin, aren’t they? I’m proud to be a Sith lord, but I don’t need to be reminded of it constantly…”

”I’ll always call you Lana when we’re working, if that’s what you prefer. It sounded as though Marr might be fine with that, too. Hopefully others will follow that example.” Viri hesitates as she feels anger flowing through their bond. “Is something wrong?”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Lana says. “I remember you insisted on calling me ‘Ms. Beniko’ when we first worked together. It always made me shake my head.”

”I wanted to show respect for you,” Viri says with a smile. “It also made it easier to avoid slipping up and…well…using one of the various nicknames Vette and Jae had cooked up for Darth Arkous. It reminded us all that we had to keep our work faces on.”

”Wait, what?”

Viri laughs. “Vette, how many nicknames did you two find for him? Arky Ark, I remember that one…”

”Darth Hyperbole, that one was inspired, I thought,” Vette says with a bow. “Darth Snark…Snark Attack…Ark Ark, said like a barking exobeast…if you thought the chatter was bad when the comlink was on, Lana, you should have heard it when the comm was off…”

Lana laughs long and loud. “Arky Ark? I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to think of him by his proper name again. Darth Hyperbole is sadly accurate, as well. Did you and Jaesa have any nicknames for me?”

Vette grins. “Sith Wife, mostly. That one always made Viri blush. As it’s doing right now.”

”Sith Wife?!”

”We decided you and Viri needed to live happily ever after together. You took a while to get together, but seriously, Lana, the moment you two met, there were actual sparks in the room. I don’t have any connection to the Force, and even I felt it. I think anyone around you would have seen the open affinity you had with each other.”

“I’m touched,” Lana says simply. “Yes, I would agree with that. Arky Ark – oh Force, that name is sticking, isn’t it? – actually commented on it after our meeting. You were so fierce, but there was something…” She’s still angry, but affection is also flowing through the bond.

”Yes, there was. I am glad I was able to put my work face aside with you. I think that’s the impression I need to make, in order to be effective. It’s meant to be highly intimidating; perhaps it’s sometimes too much so.”

”You’re right; it wouldn’t do if the Wrath looked huggable,” Vette says. “I’m guessing we’re going to get the coldest version of the Wrath in front of the Jedi on Yavin?”

”Not necessarily,” Viri says. “It’s going to be a balance; there’s a truce and I need to be able to work with them all. So I plan to be glacial, yet cooperative. All the same, it would be funny to see their faces if I showed up at the first coalition meeting with a plate of cookies or something.”

“If the stakes weren’t so high, I think I’d pay to see that,” Lana laughs. “I’m imagining you walking in there with cookies and a huge smile, and one of those sparkly outfits in your supply locker. I think it would scare them even more.”

”The angel wings! Viri, wear that one!” shouts Vette. “You have to. Walk in there in gold and sparkles and watch their eyes pop out of their heads!”

A slow, sly smile curls across Viri’s face. “I think I will have to find a suitable ensemble, won’t I?”

“We have two more days to Yavin. You have time to plan,” Vette says, hopping around in glee. “Oh, this should be _fun._ Messing with the Jedi, plus Jae!” Vette flexes her fingers. “ _And_ Ashara. Holiday gift for Vette!”

”I’m glad the three of you will have some quality time,” Viri smiles.

”Who is Ashara? I heard Nox mention her?” Lana asks.

”Darth Nox’s right hand. She’s about the same age as Vette and Jaesa, and is a former Jedi. It’s a different situation from Jaesa, but the two of them have a lot in common.”

”Ashara says she’s neither Sith nor Jedi,” Vette says. “She’s somewhere in the middle.”

”Much like Jaesa, then?”

”Yes, more or less,” agrees Viri. “Jaesa considers herself Sith now, and it’s one of the reasons she went to Korriban, to reaffirm her commitment to the Sith Code. But she also employs all sides of the Force. Much like us, actually. Ashara seems to prefer not to make that move yet; she’s still figuring it all out.”

“There’s a lot of ancient Sith lore to study on Yavin 4,” Lana says. “They should be able to learn much.”

”I’m hoping to have a chance to play tourist myself,” Viri muses. “I’m very much hoping that some of our missions will take us to those ruins.”

”I hope so too,” Vette says, “We’ll see in a few days, I guess. I’m going to read for a while, and plot-er, plan an outfit for you. I am itching to work on this now. Just _itching._ ”

”I can’t wait to see what you come up with,” Viri laughs. Viri and Lana return to their cabin. As soon as the door closes, Lana crosses her arms and glares.

”When were you planning on telling me about that official edict? I’m under your _protection?_ I’m a Sith, Viri. I can take care of myself. You have some nerve. Did you really need to imply to the entire Dark Council that I’m some sort of weakling that needs someone watching my back?!”

”And I’m the Wrath. I’m responsible for even the Dark Council,” Viri says, crossing her own arms. “It doesn’t mean you can’t take care of yourself, so stop with the drama. I don’t know who’s still holding a grudge about Darth Arkous’s death, and neither do you. You said yourself that he had numerous friends on the Council, and had known those Sith forever.”

”So?”

”So, the Dark Council tends to be a bit frightened of me. They’re far less likely to act on any grudges if they know I can and will eviscerate them for it.” Viri looks at Lana again and her expression softens. “One of the perks of being the Wrath – one of the things I appreciate most – is that I often have the power to protect my friends. I can watch your back here. I do the same for Vette, for Jae, for my entire crew. Darth Vowrawn and Nox, as well, actually. Those two aren’t official edicts, but it’s well known that I will defend them. I protected Vowrawn directly from Darth Baras. Do you think any of them are weak? You protected me during our missions to Manaan and Rakata Prime. Was _I_ weak?”

“No, but…”

Viri takes a deep breath. “I’ll…remove the edict if you want. I didn’t think you would be insulted by it. That was certainly not my intention. But…please let me do this for you.”

Lana uncrosses her arms and takes a seat on the edge of the desk. “I see.”

”If my mandate is to protect the Empire…the least I can do is protect those I care about within the Empire.”

”You care that much?” Lana looks at the floor.

”Of course I do,” Viri says quietly. “You know that. Why do you even ask?”

”This…is uncharted territory for me too, Viri,” Lana says.

“Are you not used to people caring for you?” Viri leans in and searches Lana’s face. Lana’s perch on the desk puts her at the same height as Viri, and Viri sees sadness flickering in her eyes, just for a moment. She suddenly remembers a line from one of the emails Lana sent her, back when they were tracking Darth Arkous: _I have no one else with whom I can share this burden._

”No. I’m not. It has…not been my experience, since I’ve been an apprentice. Since my parents died.”

Viri wraps Lana in her arms. “I’ve got you.”

Lana buries her face in Viri’s chest for a long moment, and they savor the emotions shimmering through their connection. _Trust. Affection. Support._

_Perhaps….more._

_What?!_

Neither of them acknowledge it; neither of them push it away.

”Lana, I want you to listen to me,” Viri murmurs. “I care deeply for you. If anyone tries to harm you, they’ll need to come through me first. You’re among friends.”

“Why?” Lana whispers.

”Because you’re you and you’re more than worth it,” Viri answers simply, holding her tighter. “I don’t think you realize just how precious you are.”

”Viri,” Lana murmurs. She lifts her face toward Viri and kisses her, gently at first, and then with more fervor. Desire spikes through the bond.

Viri ghosts her hand over Lana’s hip. “This…feels right now.”

”Are you sure?” Lana caresses the side of her face.

”I trust you. I want to share this with you. Expressing that now…seems right.”

“Yes,” Lana breathes, and takes Viri’s hand as they walk toward the bed.


	20. Conclave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The M-rated interlude that happens between Chapters 19 and 20 is located here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/13188105

Viri blinks as she wakes in her cabin. She’s sore. Sated. Completely relaxed. There’s a steady weight on her midsection, and it takes her a second to register what it is. Lana has curled up behind her, and has thrown an arm protectively around her waist. She reaches down to caress Lana’s hand and snuggles back into her. 

”You awake?” Lana murmurs, kissing her ear. “Hello there.” 

”I would say ‘good morning,’ but I have no idea what time it is,” Viri laughs. “I don’t want to get up to find out, either. Let’s just stay like this. I don’t want to move.” She uses the Force to pull the blankets over them both again. 

“Who says we have to move?” Lana chuckles, and begins kissing the back of Viri’s neck. Both of them have lost count of the number of passionate interludes they’ve had since they locked themselves in Viri’s cabin; neither has any intention of stopping or slowing down. 

* 

”I guess you did like that, then,” Lana laughs, and wraps her arm around Viri’s waist again. Viri grins at her, ready for yet another round, and is about to turn toward Lana when a shrill alarm sounds through her earpiece.

”Shit,” Viri mutters, clutching her ear. “That’s the emergency call, Lana.” She’s out of bed and has her lightsaber in her hand in less than a second. Lana follows close behind, grabbing her own weapon. 

”Yes?” 

”Chill.” Vette’s voice is amused. “Nothing’s wrong.” 

”Vette? You’re on the ship with us! Why didn’t you use the holo, or the intercom, or just knock on the door? You know that alarm is for emergencies only!”

”Um, yeah. So 2V-R8 tried to call you on the intercom for dinner and breakfast. You didn’t answer. We both tried knocking on your door. Nothing. He doesn’t want to go into your cabin but did want to make sure you two didn’t like, die or something, so he asked me to check on you. And as close as we are, there are some things I don’t need to see, so I’m calling your earpiece instead of using the holo.” 

”Oh,” Viri laughs, motioning an ‘all clear’ to Lana. “I see. All right. We’re fine. Is it really that late?” 

“It’s almost lunch time. Are you going to eat anything or are you just going to keep, er, enjoying each other? Damn, am I glad the rooms on this ship are soundproofed. I don’t even want to know, although I think it’s adorable. Don’t wear Lana out too much, right?” 

”I wouldn’t worry about that,” Viri says. “We’ll be there. Thank you, Vette.” 

“What was that about?” Lana asks, putting her saber back down on the desk next to Viri’s. 

”Apparently we’ve missed two meals because we haven’t heard 2V calling us, so that was a wellness check from Vette. She used the earpiece because she was rather apprehensive about what she might see on the holo,” Viri laughs. “Lunch is in a half hour. We should probably eat something.” 

”Specify ‘something,’” Lana says, with a wicked gleam in her eyes. 

“I can think of several somethings I’d like to feast upon,” Viri says, running her eyes up and down Lana’s nude form. “But we probably should make ourselves somewhat presentable if we’re going to leave this room. I have to be on the bridge this afternoon, too. We can always…resume…later.” 

”I’ll hold you to that,” Lana says, winking. She catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror. “We really are a mess.” 

”Yeah.” Viri pulls the sheets from the bed, throws them into a bag, and looks toward the ‘fresher. “I’ll ask 2V to give us nice new sheets while we’re at lunch. In the meantime…you want the shower first?” 

”Yes, thanks,” Lana says, and vanishes into the ‘fresher. 

Alone in the shower, Lana closes her eyes. Every part of her is sore and exhausted, but simultaneously wide awake. She suspects that the bond has been giving them both the energy to stay awake; their intimacy has been feeding and nurturing it. Viri’s enthusiasm and perceptiveness have surprised and delighted her in ways she’d never expected. _We’re not just having sex, are we? There’s no such thing with Viri. She gives all of herself to this, and it’s not just physical. Not for either of us._ Lana finishes washing, wraps herself up in a towel, and makes her way back into Viri’s cabin. 

”Shower’s all yours,” Lana says. Viri’s going through some dance stretches on the side of the room, where there’s a small barre attached to the wall. She hasn’t bothered to get dressed, and the sight makes Lana’s heartbeat speed up again. 

”Hello,” Viri says, grinning as she catches the desire sparking again through their bond. “Can I convince you to dance with me now?” 

”Get out of here, you brat,” Lana says, laughing. “We really do need to get some food. I don’t want to have to explain it to Darth Marr if we both show up on Yavin weak from hunger. Get ready, would you?” 

Viri crosses her arms and straightens up, imitating Marr. “Wrath. Lord Beniko. I am not… amused.”

Lana snickers. “You have his mannerisms down. That’s really good.” 

“There is nothing funny about this, Lord Beniko,” Viri says, drawing out each word in classic Marr style and pointing her finger at Lana. “You have depleted the Wrath’s energy. _Explain_ thissssss.” 

Lana holds her side as she roars with laughter, and Viri bows and pirouettes toward the fresher. As she passes by, Lana grabs her arm and pulls her close. ”As to the dancing…later.”

*

Lana spends the afternoon curled up in the lounge, reading, with a cup of peppermint tea by her side. She’s put the Sith literature aside for the moment and delved into one of Tullia Dragoi’s books. Her memoir about her work with wild beasts is intriguing, and Lana is touched to read the numerous references to Viri as a child. 

”We’re going to be picking our coalition first meeting outfits,” Viri says, walking over to Lana’s couch. “Care to join us?”

”I don’t really have much to choose from here,” Lana says wryly. 

”You can always borrow something of mine, if you want. I could get the ship droid to tailor it for you,” Viri offers. 

”I appreciate that, but I like the armor I have,” Lana says. “As much as I love your style, it’s yours, not mine. Show me the chosen ensembles, though.”

”I haven’t found my armor yet, but Vette’s ready,” Viri says, as they walk into her cabin. 

Vette is standing before the mirror, studying her reflection. She’s wearing elaborate red and black armor, which somehow seems to be flattering and intimidating at the same time. 

”New look for you, Vette?” 

“Oh, I’ve had this outfit for a while,” Vette says, adjusting the bracers, “But I don’t use it much. This is the official “Wrath’s second” dress armor, so to speak.” 

”Yeah, we’ve decided we need to look formal when we first meet with the coalition,” Viri says, as she rifles through the supply locker. “It’s classy and intimidating, but not frightening enough to come across as completely hostile.” 

“What about the outfit you had when you first came to see me and Darth Arkous? That one was very intimidating,” Lana asks. 

”Oh, it was meant to be. That was one of the ‘don’t fuck with me’ outfits,” Vette shrugs. 

”What she said,” Viri confirms, as she continues to rifle through the locker. 

“Wait, what?” 

”Oh, when I have to meet new members of the Dark Council I do my best to look as intimidating and scary as possible. All black, jagged edges, spikes…” Viri grins. 

”You’re unshakeable even without all that,” Lana says. 

”More or less, but I find that visual cues help. People don’t look beneath the surface much of the time. Ah, here it is.” Viri pulls a garment bag from the wardrobe and begins undressing. 

”Are you sure you want to do that here?” Lana asks. 

”Oh please, is there anyone present who hasn’t seen me naked?” 

”Too much information, Viri!” Vette laughs. “But yeah, considering the number of times we’ve covered each other while bathing and had to sleep in the same room, I think we’re good here.” 

”Well?” Viri adjusts the buttons on the armor and looks at herself in the mirror. The armor is black and gold, with rubies at strategic points. The outfit hugs and showcases Viri’s curves, and even though she’s completely covered, she’s alluring. Lana feels her heart beat faster. 

”I approve of this armor. Completely.” 

”That’s two votes, then,” Viri smiles, picking up on Lana’s desire and echoing it back to her. 

“Vette…I know you haven’t seen much of us on this trip, but would you find me rude if I asked you to…” Lana’s mouth is dry as she stares at Viri. 

Vette laughs. “The two of you are adorable. No, I don’t mind. I know you won’t get much quality time when we land. Have fun. Don’t do anything to the armor, though. We won’t have time to mend it.” 

”Thank you, Vette. I feel bad that we haven’t had much time together on this trip.” 

”Viri, we have a lot of time together. It’s okay. Really! Go sleep with your girlfriend!” Vette laughs again and sweeps out of Viri’s room, closing and locking the door behind her. 

Alone in the cabin, Viri squares her shoulders as she smiles at Lana. “This armor is turning you on, isn’t it?” 

”The way you look in the armor, yes…Force, yes.” Lana runs her hands across Viri’s chest and swallows hard. “Can we…leave some of this on? The top, at least?” 

”I’m going to show up at the coalition in an outfit that I wore while my girlfriend ravished me? You’re devious, Lana. I love it,” Viri says, with a wicked smile, as she wraps her arms around Lana and laughs. 

*

_**Yavin Four** _

The _Tyûk_ touches down in a clearing with an Imperial banner. Almost soon as the landing gear is out and the ship has settled onto terra firma, a messenger from Darth Marr is knocking at the door. 

”The Dark Lord landed just before you,” the young man tells Viri. “Darth Nox is due shortly. Two of your crew members are with me now; the other two should be arriving later this morning. Darth Marr has asked that you meet with the members of your team and rendezvous at these coordinates in an hour.” 

”Very good. Thank you,” Viri says, her Wrath face and attitude firmly in place. A cluster of people is waiting behind the messenger, and as soon as he leaves, they pile into the ship. 

“Well hello, Lord Wrath!” A young woman in black launches herself at Viri. 

“Jaesa!” Viri sweeps her up into a hug. “How are you?” 

Viri steps back to look at Jaesa. She’s cut her hair very short, and her makeup is more dramatic than ever, but it fits her perfectly. Her eyes are a luminous red, showing her growing mastery of the Dark Side. What strikes Viri the most, however, is her confidence. Jaesa is a new woman, strong and self-assured in the Force. 

”I think you may be the only person who has ever enjoyed Korriban, Jae,” Viri laughs. “It seems to have done you well. Very well. I feel your confidence and strength from here.” 

”Thank you, Viri,” Jaesa smiles. “I think it was exactly where I needed to be, and what I needed to learn.” 

“And with that, I think you’ve fully earned a promotion.” Viri puts one hand on her shoulder. “I could have done this on the holo, but I wanted to be here in person to congratulate you, and I want this to happen before we meet the coalition. Your success at Korriban, and your continued commitment to learning and developing yourself and your abilities, make it my pleasure to grant you the title of Sith Lord. I’ve been looking forward to this ever since I knew you would be joining us again. May the Force serve you well, Lord Wilsaam. Or Lord Jaesa. Or you can call yourself whatever you wish, but the title is yours.” 

”Viri…Lord Wrath…really?” 

”A title is never granted in jest,” Viri smiles. “You earned this, many times over. Congratulations.” 

“Well done, Jaesa,” Lana smiles. 

”I’m so proud of you. But I’m still going to pour water in your boots, Jaesa,” Vette warns. “Don’t get all snotty on me with this title.” 

”I’m…thank you!” Jaesa beams. 

”I have one more surprise for you. How would you like to work with the Reclamation Service and Darth Nox? Nox asked if you’d be interested in joining the team that will be examining the rituals and lore the Revanites are employing here. I gave her a tentative yes, but told her that it would be up to you,” Viri says.

”Won’t I be fighting with you, my lord?” 

”You and Vette are my core strike team. If I require your presence on a mission, I’ll need to pull you from the artifact studies temporarily. Aside from that, though, I leave it up to you. I think you’d be an asset to Nox’s team, however. Talos and Ashara will be there, if it helps influence your choice.” 

”How about this: I really do want to work with the relics, so I’ll go to Nox. But only if you promise to call me for missions every few days. I have some new saber skills I’d love to show off. You’ll be impressed.”

”You have a deal,” Viri says. “Good work negotiating, and yes, I’m looking forward to fighting with you by my side again, Jae. I’d love to see your progress.”

”Two Sith Lords on the same ship, mercy,” mutters a deep male voice. “Or…is it three?” Lt. Pierce steps into the common room, dressed in his Imperial armor. 

”Pierce!” Viri steps forward and shakes his hand. “So good to see you again. You remember Lana Beniko, yes?” 

”Good to see you, my lord,” Pierce says. “Can’t wait to get to work. Glad to see you again too, Lord Beniko. Happy your name was cleared.” 

”Just Lana, please,” Lana says, shaking his hand. 

”Understood, Lana,” Pierce says. “What’s the plan, my lord?” 

”Darth Nox had an offer for you too, Pierce,” Viri says. “Moff Pyron was excited to learn you’d be joining us for this mission. He’d like to collaborate.” 

”Valion Pyron? I’d love to. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. I’ve brought some of the black ops team with me, too. Do you think Pyron will mind?” 

”I think the more brilliant minds we can get in the same room, the better,” Viri says. “If Pyron has a problem with it, you just tell me and I’ll handle it. In the meantime, Broonmark and Treek had a longer trip here, so we’ll have to begin without them. Darth Marr won’t want to wait. Before we head out, though: will everyone be sleeping on the ship? I need to know so I can program security here.” 

”Yes, I’d planned on it,” Pierce replies. 

”Me too. I call the med bay,” Jaesa says. 

”That’s fine, and the same ground rules as always apply,” Viri says. “You make any friends, especially if they’re from the other side, you go to them. They don’t come here.” 

“Yes, my lord,” Jaesa says, and a sly smile crosses her lips. “I suppose we already have one guest on board? Please tell me you and Lana have hooked up. Watching you two flail around was agonizing, you know. I wanted to just yell at you both to fucking stop it and kiss each other.” 

Lana and Viri look at each other and blush. 

”Yes!” Jaesa says. “ _Finally!_ ” 

”You have no idea, Jae,” Vette says. “The _drama_ with these two…” 

”So, Marr’s coalition,” Viri says, very pointedly. “You are all aware we will be working with Satele Shan and other members of the Republic. There will be Jedi there. Among the Imperial contingent, we have myself, Lana, Darth Marr and Darth Nox, and their personnel. Among the Republic, there’s Theron Shan, who is with the SIS but has been a very strong ally for us. Grand Master Satele Shan, I’ve already mentioned. I don’t know who else the Grand Master is bringing, but I need all of you to make a concerted effort to lead by example and be amiable.” 

“Ick,” Jaesa says. “I see them and I want to skewer them.” 

”Jae, I mean it. No battles with the Jedi. If anyone dies, or any arguments break out, we risk blowing this. Believe me, it’s going to take restraint on my part too, but the Revanite threat requires it. If there’s any conflict, come to me or to Nox, if you’re on her team at the time.”

“We won’t fail you, my lord,” Pierce says. “Let’s go.” 

* 

The coalition on Yavin comes together quickly, as troops from both factions begin building staging areas, barracks and meeting halls. The control center has already been assembled, and the Wrath, Lana and their team arrive early to wait for Darth Marr and the others. 

”Wrath!” Viri looks up to see Darth Nox and her team walking across the clearing. Nox, as always, is a pillar of power and dignity. She is at least a foot shorter than Viri, but her presence is so commanding that she seems to be infinitely tall. Her green lekku hang free behind her head, and her black and crimson dress robes stand out among the dense foliage of the jungle. 

”Darth Nox. Always a pleasure.” The two women exchange kisses on the cheek, and Jaesa and Vette surge forward to greet the members of Nox’s team. At once, they’re in a tight huddle with Ashara Zavros, laughing and hugging. 

“Lana Beniko, I presume,” Darth Nox says coolly, looking her over. 

”Yes, Dark Lord. It’s an honor to meet you.” 

”It’s an honor I’m here to meet you,” Nox says. “If it wasn’t for your hard work, that might not be the case for any of us. Again, I’m impressed with you, Lord Beniko. Shall we begin?” 

The Wrath nods. Satele Shan and Darth Marr have appeared at the head of the table, and the combined teams walk toward them. 

*

Viri looks out over the crowd and is amazed by what she sees. The Imperial and Republic troops are still segregated, but they’re standing in the same clearing without drawing their weapons. Darth Marr’s contingent of Sith stand to the side, their arms crossed, but they, too, are present. The Jedi, however, are clustered in a small, nervous group, as far away from the table as possible. 

”Is there any reason your Jedi are cowering over there, Grand Master Shan?” the Wrath asks. 

“They are troubled by your presence. You and Darth Nox have killed many of their teachers and peers. You therefore must understand their consternation.” Master Shan says. “I know you can be reasonable. They do not.” 

”Isn’t consternation an emotion? I thought there is no emotion, there’s peace. Or could it be that peace is a lie?” The Wrath’s eyes twinkle. 

“You’re not helping,” Lana hisses in Sith. 

The Wrath steeples her fingers. “Let me rephrase, Master Shan. I’m sorry if your Jedi are afraid of me, but I’m not here to kill them. When I’ve killed Jedi in the past it has been because they’ve been directly threatening me, not simply because they were Jedi. On a practical note, if they die, we have less people to fight Revan. A peace accord is a peace accord, and I would not disgrace the Empire or the Dark Council by violating it.” 

There is a murmur from the Jedi, but none of them move any closer. Suddenly, however, the crowd parts as a Mirialan man in Jedi robes enters the clearing, walks through the throng of Jedi, and strides up to the Wrath. 

”Well, well. Look who it is. Still following the wrong side, I mean, the Dark Side?”

To everyone’s surprise, the Wrath smiles. 

”Still a sanctimonious Jedi twit?” 

”Would you expect any less?” the Mirialan asks. 

”Not from you,” the Wrath retorts. “Master Timmns. We meet again.” 

”So we do, Lord Dragoi. Or Darth now, isn’t it?” 

”Darth Dragoi, Lord Wrath, Scary Sith. Or all of the above. You still a Master? Or have you ascended to some other ostentatious title?” 

“Still a Master. _Always_ a Master, in fact.” 

”I suppose to promote you to Grand Master, we’d need to knock off Shan over here,” the Wrath says. The Jedi near her gasp, and she rolls her eyes. “Oh, calm _down._ Meditate for a while on having a sense of humor. As for you, Somminick, it’s good to see you again. I’m glad you’ve joined our alliance. You do realize we’re here to kill Revan, right? Not just put him in cold storage, or give him a friendly pat on the head, or whatever you Jedi do to anyone who isn’t Sith?” 

Master Timmns clasps her extended hand. “Viridana. Always a pleasure. Charming as always, I see. I’m glad to see you here, as well.” 

“I’m acquainted with Grand Master Shan, and I’m guessing we all know Theron Shan as well, but I’ll make the rest of the introductions. Darth Marr and Darth Nox of the Dark Council, and Sith Lord Lana Beniko, meet Jedi Master Somminick Timmns.” 

”I’m not sure what is happening here,” Lana mutters, “But, hello.”

”Master Timmns and I had an alliance on Belsavis,” the Wrath explains. “As we had a common goal, we joined forces. We sought out a rather dangerous individual together and made sure they were put down.” 

“Not in the way I would have preferred, but yes, we did put them down,” Timmns says. “Always with the killing.” 

”Timmns wanted to serve her cookies and tea and make her promise to stay in her cell,” the Wrath says. “You agreed that it was best to end her, so don’t go pious Jedi on me just because your friends are here.” 

”When Timmns told the Council about this, many thought he was lying,” Satele says, shaking her head. “I don’t think I fully believed it until now, myself.” 

”Why didn’t you kill him?” Darth Marr asks. 

The Wrath shrugs. “I had no reason to, at that point. Although he could tell better jokes. That almost cost him his head.” 

“Would you come greet my padawans? If you promise not to make them cry.” Timmns gestures toward the crowd. 

”When have I ever made a padawan cr—never mind. I’ll try not to traumatize them,” the Wrath says wryly, walking along with Master Timmns. The Jedi visibly back away from her, but Timmns’ small group of students nervously stands their ground. 

”Students, this is the Sith I’ve told you all about. At the time we met, she was Lord Dragoi. Now she is the Emperor’s Wrath. There’s no need to look so nervous. She’s not here to hurt you.” 

”Nope. That’s tomorrow,” the Wrath says, with her best poker face. One of the padawans faints, and Timmns glares. 

“Hey. I didn’t make them cry. You said nothing about fainting. Children, I’m really not here to hurt you. We have a peace accord on Yavin, and it’s a lesson for all of us. We are here to work together as Force users, even if we use the Force in different ways. Savvy?” 

The padawans look uneasily at each other. 

”This coalition will not succeed if you insist on approaching it with the attitude that you are lowering yourself to work with Sith, or that we are here to hurt you,” the Wrath says quietly. “Nor will it succeed if you cannot get past the idea that there are other ways of using the Force that are valid beyond your own narrow set of beliefs, or that the Jedi are above reproach. I would suggest you look into your own code, which mandates that there is no emotion, but peace. If that’s something you truly believe, and don’t just use to repress yourselves, you’ll do well to put aside your obvious feelings about the Sith Code and the Sith Empire and work as our peers.” 

“She’s right, students.” Timmns’s voice is quiet and confident. “I am here to defeat Revan. I accept and acknowledge that the Wrath, and the other Sith in this space, take a different perspective on the Force. I will not rebuke them for that. At one time I might have, but who am I to insist my doctrine must be the only one in the galaxy? We are all responsible for what is happening with the Revanites, both Jedi and Sith; both Empire and Republic. We all played a role in bringing Revan and his cult to where they are today.”

“Thank you, Master Timms.” The Wrath shakes his hand again.

“If they ever wanted to appoint an ambassador for Jedi - Sith relations, I’d nominate Master Timmns,” Theron mutters. “In the meantime, can we get to work?” 

The core team – The Wrath, Lana, Theron, Satele Shan, Darth Marr, Darth Nox and Master Timmns – settle around the table. 

“To bring everyone up to speed: We have discovered that the Revanites are holding several of the ancient temples. We’ve also discovered the locations of their camps. There are several variables we don’t know about yet, but we need to start by establishing perimeter sensors and recovering control of the closest temple. Lord Wrath, your strike team will be working on those tasks first, while the military team will be developing an attack strategy from the data you recover. Nox, we’ve already set up a place for you to work with your group,” Darth Marr says. 

”I brought as much data as I could from the Sith Archives,” Nox says, “And Talos Drelik has done some outstanding preliminary research. We will need to glean more from the sensor data, though, and the moment those temples are clear, we can move in and see what we’re dealing with.” 

”The first step seems to be clear, then,” Lana says. “Lord Wrath, I will be on the comlink to guide you as you establish the perimeter sensors and take the first temple.” 

”Be careful,” Theron says. “The area is filled with Massassi, and they will try to kill you on sight. Wish I’d known about that when Jakarro and I tried scouting. It would have been nice to know about them, _Lana._ ” 

Only Lana feels the immediate shift in Viri’s energy from neutral objectivity to fury. She catches Viri’s eye and sends her a fierce message through their bond. _I. Can. Defend. Myself. Don’t you dare._

Viri’s eyes flash, and Lana feels her anger. She doesn’t back down, and locks eyes with Viri again. _I mean it._

Viri visibly grinds her teeth, but she turns to Theron and smiles sweetly. 

”Right. So according to this map we have, the best path through the jungle will be…” 

”Wait up. You think it’s acceptable that your friend over there didn’t tell us about the Massassi?”

Viri sighs. “Why wasn’t your SIS briefing sufficient?”

”What briefing? They don’t have any information on this moon!” 

”Really? This world is considered so dangerous to the Jedi that they won’t tell their padawans about it, according to some of the ex-Jedi we have here. It’s also affiliated with the Sith Emperor, whom the Republic seems to monitor. I would have thought they had done considerable reconnaissance on it. I was actually about to ask if the SIS would share their files with us, so we’d have a complete picture. I take it there’s no data, then?” 

”There’s some information in our archives about Yavin 4,” Satele mutters. “I hadn’t thought of it, but I can make some holocalls and pull those files for us to use.” 

”Excellent,” Viri says. “If you have anything that might help Darth Nox and her team with their research, please pull that, too.” 

”Yes,” says Satele. “That might be a good idea.” 

”In the meantime, since it’s a new area, I’m going to ask for a full strike team to accompany me. Vette and Jaesa, you’re up. Darth Nox, may I ask for Xalek’s assistance?” 

”Yes, of course,” Darth Nox says, nodding to Xalek. 

”Several of my padawans are keen to accompany you, as well Lord Wrath,” Timmns says, gesturing to his group. “Maili Bex and Kelso Tan, step forward. Lord Wrath, I assure you they’re very strong fighters.” 

”Excellent. Maili, Kelso, watch Jaesa and Xalek and stay with them. Keep your earpieces on, don't jump ahead of us, and pay attention at all times.”

“May the Force serve you well out there, Lord Wrath,” Lana says. She catches Viri’s eye again, sending affection and strength through their bond. Viri’s eyes glitter as she responds in kind, and she smiles slightly before slipping back into her role as the Wrath. 

“Thank you, Lana. We’re on it,” Viri says, and runs into the jungle with her team.


	21. Strategy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The anonymous email quoted and a few snippets of Satele Shan and Darth Marr's conversations with Ivan, as well as Lana's "more to fight for" line, are paraphrased from the Shadow of Revan expansion of SWTOR.

“We need to find out what’s in that temple,” Darth Marr says. His face is inscrutable as always behind his mask, but the Wrath can easily imagine that he is scowling at the console. ”It could be the Imperial Guard. It could be Revanites. Regardless, we need to know.” 

”The writing we’ve found indicates there’s something critical contained on this moon,” Darth Nox says. “Every member of my team, plus Lana, have translated that High Sith, and they agree on the interpretation. It alludes to death and renewal. What that is, I don’t know. But I think we all have a clue.” 

“Nox, recommendations. Is it likely I can do this with a small strike team, or do I need a full group?” Wrath puts her hands on her hips. 

“We’ve found nothing of note in the temple itself, and it doesn’t seem as though there are any elevated energy readings. Educated guess, it’s open for the taking. You’ll need to take out the Revanites around the temple first, though, so I’d recommend at least six. I can send Xalek and Khem Val with you. With all those Revanite Sith and Jedi, it will be like Life Day for Khem.”

“Vette, Jaesa, Broonmark, myself, Khem and Xalek. All right. Let’s get everyone in here and look over these maps and schematics. Lana, will you be our comm support? Join us.” The Wrath and her team huddle around the map. 

Lana has been observing Viri at work for almost two weeks on Yavin Four. As the Wrath she is all business; among those she doesn’t know well, her joking is dialed down almost completely. As she points to various routes on the map, Lana is reminded just how skilled she is at her job; how she can formulate complex approaches with seemingly little effort. She’s a master strategist. 

”So you three clean up; Khem, Jaesa and I will clear,” the Wrath concludes. “Lana. I’ll need you to keep an eye on power levels, just in case, so we don’t get any nasty surprises. Please have some troops follow us in the event there’s anyone I need to apprehend.” 

”Of course, my Lord.” 

”Take ten minutes to check your gear; meet at the ruins. Let’s move out.” The Wrath and her team break away from the table and file out of the staging area. 

There’s one habit the Wrath has fallen into, that perhaps veers from her past missions: as she leaves the staging area, she always turns back to Lana and makes eye contact, just for a few seconds. There’s a momentary flash of communication between them as the Wrath gives way to Viri; affection and trust and strength spark along their bond and fortify them both. And then the Wrath returns, with her unreadable expression and intense glare, and runs into the jungle with her team. 

* 

”Feed the Emperor! We need to feed the Emperor! All of you must be sacrificed!” Viri and her team have returned with one Imperial Guardsman, and he’s babbling. He’s still wearing the striking crimson robes of the Imperial Guard, but his eyes are rolling wildly in his head, and he’s all but frothing at the mouth. 

”He’s stark raving mad,” Darth Marr says quietly. 

”There were three others we defeated,” the Wrath says. “All seemed to be of the same mindset.” 

”I’d like to question him,” Satele Shan says, stepping up. “Someone in his condition requires a gentle touch.” 

”We have no time for such niceties,” Marr replies. 

”I’m not sure I want you questioning a member of the Imperial Guard on your own, Satele Shan,” Lana says. “The Imperial Guards know quite a bit of the inner workings of our Empire, and you don’t need access to that information.” 

”So you’d rather torture him?” Satele says indignantly. 

“We’re capable of questioning someone without torturing them,” the Wrath snaps. “Just because Marr is a Sith, it doesn’t mean he’s going to hurt this man. You’re welcome to sit in and see for yourself, Satele.” 

”Perhaps a truth ritual, since he’s Force-sensitive,” Nox says, rubbing her chin. “Non-invasive; painless.” 

”I don’t even know if all that is necessary,” Lana interjects. “He’s telling us exactly what he knows right now. This entire time we’ve been talking, he’s been ranting and raving. Listen. He’s also carrying a datapad; if we slice into it I’m sure we’ll find something of use.” 

”It’s true, if we just let him talk he will probably fill us in without any coaxing at all,” the Wrath says. “When I encountered him, he told me they wanted to sacrifice me to feed the Emperor. It would seem that killing people will somehow fuel the Emperor’s return.” 

”Nox and I will see what he knows; Theron and Lana, slice this datapad,” Darth Marr says. “The Wrath is correct; questioning this man will not require torture. Master Shan, you are welcome to join us. Or not.” 

”I won’t forget this,” Satele hisses, but she follows the two Sith to Marr’s ship. 

”No, I’m sure you won’t.” 

* 

While they wait to learn what Iven knows, Viri meditates in the clearing with Ashara, Vette and Jaesa. When Lana and Theron approach, they all look up. 

”It’s bad,” Lana says, with no preamble. “The temple the Imperial Guard is concerned with contains a device that will kill all life on this moon, except those who are safely inside the building. It will restore the Emperor. You were right when you hypothesized that death feeds the Emperor, Lord Wrath. It’s his fuel. That’s what the Revanites are trying to accomplish.” 

”So we need to get in there and destroy the device before the Revanites can use it,” the Wrath says. She paces, and Lana can all but see the wheels turning in her head as she formulates an attack strategy. 

”Not so fast. There’s a series of locks that need to be released so we can get into the temple without being fried,” Theron says. “Iven's datapad had the coordinates for those. Both the Revanites and the Imperial Guard would have needed to release these locks as well, to enter the temple and activate the device. One of them is close to the area where you found Iven and the rest of the Imperial Guard.”

”Iven mentioned that the temple and its artifact are heavily guarded by creatures created from Sith alchemy. Ancient, vicious, probably immensely powerful. We also need to expect that the Revanites will move the moment they are aware the temple is unlocked,” Lana continues. “We need to be able to cut them off at the pass and get in the second those doors open.” 

”So a small strike team can accompany me to release the locks, and then our larger contingent can wait on standby at the temple’s gates. We’ll unlock everything, meet them there, and move. What is the closest lock to the temple entrance?” The Wrath takes a datapad from Theron and studies the maps. 

”Vette, Jaesa, I’ll need you both.” The Wrath says. “We’ll do the locks and then meet the others. I’ll ask Nox if Xalek can join us.” 

”I’m sure she won’t mind. Darth Nox actually asked me to tell you that with the exception of Talos Drelik, she, and her whole personal crew, will join you for the temple invasion,” Lana says. “And Lord Wrath…I’d like to join you too.” 

Viri’s eyes catch Lana’s, just for a moment. “Of course. I’ll see if Master Timmns is in; I think his padawans should sit this one out. Who else do we have? Nine so far, ten with Timmns…I think Broonmark and Pierce will want to join us, so twelve. Marr probably has some people in his team that can support us as well.” 

”I’ll see who else we have on our side. There may be a few other Jedi who will want to accompany you. _Master Shan,_ even,” Theron says, with a touch of bitterness in his voice. 

“I also want a large team outside the temple once we infiltrate so none of the Revanites can follow us in,” the Wrath says. “My strike team and I have taken out a fair number of them, but many remain.” 

“We’ll assemble our teams, go over what we know about the temple, and be prepared to act first thing in the morning. In the meantime, let’s send troops to monitor those locks to ensure nobody else disturbs them, now that the Imperial Guard is gone,” the Wrath says. “Have everyone meet us at the coalition staging area in a half hour for strategy.” 

Everyone turns to leave, but Lana hangs back and catches Viri’s eye again. “Theron, all of you, would you give us a moment?” 

”Of course.” Theron and the others walk back toward the staging area. 

”You wanted to say no, didn’t you, when I volunteered?” Lana asks, as soon as they are alone. 

”Yes,” the Wrath says. 

”Why didn’t you?” 

”I’ve never seen you fight, but I trust that if you volunteered, you have the skill to be there,” Viri says. “I will admit, it was hard. But you’re a Sith Lord. I won’t insult your abilities.” 

”Thank you, Viri,” Lana says, taking her hands. “I…our lives have been in danger before. But there’s something final about this. We need to win this one.” There’s an undercurrent of anxiety flowing through the bond. 

”I’ve never seen you like this,” Viri says, studying Lana’s face. 

”I have more to fight for now,” Lana replies, locking eyes with Viri. 

”As do I,” Viri whispers, and leans in for a kiss. 

“Don’t you dare get hurt or die,” Lana murmurs. “Promise me.”

”Same goes for you,” Viri says. “You stay alive.” She wraps her arms around Lana and they stand together for a long moment, eyes closed, simply savoring the affection sparking through their bond. 

*  
In the evening, the Wrath, Nox, their teams and Lana sit around a bonfire. They’re all aware of the magnitude of the morning’s operation; they cherish their time together. Even Jaesa has chosen to join them, eschewing several invitations for interludes with various Sith and Imperial officers. 

”No work talk. Just us,” Viri says, passing around the pots of hot cocoa and tea. 

”Yes,” Darth Nox says. “Just us.” 

“It’s good to be here,” Lana says, staring pensively at the fire. “So many of us of great strength, all supporting each other.” 

”Rare, to be sure,” Nox agrees. “But appreciated.” 

”I’ve been glad to get to know you and Ashara during this coalition, Darth Nox,” Lana says. 

”Please. We’re not at work. It’s Suvia.” Suvia snuggles up to Ashara and sighs. 

“You two are adorable together,” Vette says. 

“Aren’t you concerned about being with a younger woman, Ashara?” Jaesa giggles. 

”She’s a year younger than I am, please,” Ashara quips. 

“I trust this will remain around our fire, and go no further,” Suvia says, with a smile. “Better that it’s kept quiet, for everyone’s safety, especially Ashara’s. I know that you and Lana understand this very well, Viri.” 

”Indeed we do,” Viri says quietly. She turns her face toward the fire and closes her eyes. The warm glow illuminates her skin, painting shadows across her face. When Lana’s arm slides around her shoulder, she sighs and melts into it. 

”I feel like we should be snuggling with someone,” Vette laughs. “Sitting here with all these lovey-dovey Sith lords is a bit surreal.” 

”I know, right?” Jaesa laughs. “I’m just over here, enjoying my tea…but it’s nice being here.” 

”Nice. Not a word I hear very often,” Andronikos reflects. 

”Enjoy it while we have it,” Jaesa suggests. The fire crackles and glows in the Yavin night. 

* 

The mood on Viri’s ship in the morning is almost all business. Meditation. Weapons and armor checks. A hearty breakfast, the type Viri usually uses for battle fuel, when she can. At the table she and her team are quiet; contemplative. After the meal, Viri and Lana both quickly scroll through their datapads for any last-minute messages. 

A message from an anonymous sender pops up in Viri’s inbox. 

_I won't pretend I enjoy working with you people…Maybe if we get through this, we'll apprehend you and I'll get to lead your interrogation the way I want. That would be thanks to you, you know. If nothing else, the thought makes all this more bearable. Even makes me smile._

“Lana…can we trace an email?” 

”Yes. Why?” 

Viri wordlessly shows her the datapad. 

”This is…completely unacceptable. Showing this level of hostility toward someone who is currently an ally will not do.” 

”I agree, it won’t,” Viri says. “Trace it.”

Lana fiddles with the datapad. “Since we’re monitoring all their chatter, this is very simple…let’s see, definitely came from the Republic camp…the address traces back to a Lt. Baret Jast. Looks like he’s sent several similar threatening messages to other Imperial women; I see at least six others here, including one directed to Jaesa. Oh look, there I am, too. He wants to choke me with my own cape. Charming. Do you mind if I clone this data to my own datapad? I want evidence of this.” 

”Do what you need to do,” Viri says. “We’ll handle it.” 

* 

The core strike team and their temple contingent meet in the staging area one last time. 

”Is there anything else you need, Wrath? Or are your teams ready to move?” 

”We’re ready,” the Wrath says. “Everyone knows their roles. And in case anyone’s unfamiliar with working with me, I’ll say this so everyone can hear it: Nobody dies on my missions. Nobody is sacrificed. Nobody is left behind. I expect you all to look out for each other, and that includes Imperials looking out for Republic, and vice versa. _You will all be coming back._ Do I make myself clear?” 

The Wrath’s teams nod. 

”Oh, there’s one other thing,” the Wrath says. “I’d like to add one more person to my first strike team. Is there a Lt. Jast here?” 

The crowd murmurs, and a number of troopers look toward a man in a Republic uniform. 

“Lt. Jast is going to be in my group,” the Wrath says. “He’s expressed a desire to spend some quality time with me, and I do appreciate those who take an active interest in our coalition’s activities.” 

Lt. Jast has gone chalk-white and started to shake. 

”You heard the Wrath, fall in, Lt. Jast,” Timmns says.

”But…” 

”In the spirit of our alliance, you will go with her,” Satele Shan insists. “I don’t want to hear another word about it.” 

The group wordlessly walks into the jungle, and as soon as they are out of coalition earshot, the Wrath turns to Lt. Jast. 

”So! Lt. Baret Marien Jast, from Coruscant! Can I call you Barry? Or do you prefer something else?” The Wrath smiles and throws an arm around Jast’s shoulders. “I understand you have some interest in interrogation techniques, and wanted to run them by me. Do tell!” 

Jast is bathed in sweat. 

”Oh come now, Jast, you were quite explicit in your email to me. Surely I’m not so scary in person, am I? Especially since you believe you’re going to get a chance to interrogate me as you want? Lord Jaesa, look! It’s the lovely fellow who expressed a wish to, what was that, now? Impale you?” 

Jaesa strides over and smiles cheerfully at the man. “Well, hello there! Sorry, but you really aren’t my type, I’m afraid. You’ll need to impale someone else, assuming you live that long.” 

”I…all in the spirit of fun…it was just a joke…” 

”Really?” The Wrath smiles broadly. “I’m sure that is why you sent that email anonymously. I’m sure that’s also why you’ve been threatening other women here.” 

”I didn’t mean…” 

”Of course you did.” The Wrath’s grin turns feral. “Luckily for you, we have a peace accord at the moment. You have two choices, you stinking ginx. You can either turn yourself in to Satele Shan, or I can ensure you will be leading a suicide mission to hug a Massassi. I am not going to take any chances that you will do anything to sabotage me or any other member of this mission, so you are not going to be a part of it. Which will it be?” 

”That’s not fair!” 

“Lord Jaesa, this coward thinks I’m not being fair to him.” 

”You’re not. What would be fair would be to take off his head right now.” Jaesa twirls her polesaber and ignites it, laughing when Jast jumps. 

“I’ll go to Satele Shan,” Jast stammers. 

”Yes, you will,” the Wrath says. “I’ll escort you there.” 

* 

After Jast has turned himself in to Satele Shan – with the traced emails on Lana’s datapad for evidence – the two strike teams go back out into the jungle. They walk together silently until they come to a fork in the path. 

”This is where we leave you,” the Wrath says. “Force willing, we’ll see you in a few hours. May the Force serve you all well out there. Be safe.” 

”You as well, my Lord,” Lana says. “See you soon.” There is a split-second flash of affection between them, as usual, and then she turns and follows Darth Nox and the others toward the Temple of Sacrifice.


	22. Showdown

Beautiful art of Viri and Lana commissioned from hergreywarden: hergreywarden.tumblr.com. Posted here with artist's permission. 

_“Go._ ” One word, spoken definitively. The strike team surges into the Temple of Sacrifice, with the Wrath and Darth Nox in the lead. 

The Wrath barks orders to the team as they round the first staircase inside the temple. ”Force users with healing talents, top up anyone who seems to need it. Don’t wait for them to ask you. And don’t be a jackass and refuse to heal someone because they’re a Sith and you’re a Jedi, or whatever. If they’re hurt, heal them.”

“What she said,” Nox concurs. “I’m holding you all responsible for looking out for each other.” 

By the time the team reaches the second landing, Lana’s head is already spinning. Vitiate has packed the building with vicious examples of Sith alchemy. There are a few creatures she’s seen in person before, some she’s only read about in ancient Sith texts, and some that are unlike anything she’s ever encountered. She’s been healing other members of the team almost constantly, all while fending off attacks from the monsters herself. 

Nox’s Force lightning crackles across the stones as she takes down another subteroth. Both Lana and the Wrath have lost count of how many they’ve encountered in the temple; they seem to be endless. 

And then there are the traps. Every single room they’ve walked through has been rigged with an astounding variety of them. They’ve already almost lost one of Darth Marr’s apprentices and Andronikos to spikes that shot suddenly from the walls. Now, as they stand at the threshold of another large chamber, all of the Force sensitives experimentally mentally push on the walls, floor and ceiling, seeking to trigger the traps while the room is still empty. 

Ashara uses the Force to press on the stones of the walls, one by one, and flames erupt from the ceiling, engulfing the room. “There. Found it.” They wait for the flames to subside, try the stones again, and walk into the chamber when the path appears safe. 

_If any of us had tried this alone – or even with another person – we’d have been dead in the first room,_ Lana thinks to herself. Even with some of the most formidable Force users in the galaxy, it’s a challenge. By the time they reach the summit of the temple, everyone is breathing hard and covered in sweat, reaching deep inside themselves to find the energy to continue. 

Khem Val breaks down a large door covered in threatening inscriptions, revealing an alcove with a single artifact. 

”There’s the device,” Nox says, running to it. It’s a huge stone box, nondescript but smoking slightly, covered in ancient Sith texts. 

“I was expecting something…flashier,” Jaesa says. “ _That’s_ supposed to keep the Emperor alive?” 

”It’s the substance, not the cosmetics, that count,” Lana murmurs. “Can’t you feel the energy?” Jaesa nods quietly. 

”What’s the plan, Nox?” The Wrath says, deferring to the ancient artifacts specialist. “I have a feeling it won’t go well if I just go up and hit that thing with my lightsaber.” 

”No, it won’t,” Nox says. “There’s an incantation we can use to open it, and then destroy it. It’s meant for all Dark-Side-sealed objects. I know this ritual; I know Lana does, too.”

“Yes, my lord,” Lana says, stepping up. 

“There’s going to be a massive surge of dark energy. If you’re not Force sensitive, I want you outside the door, covering us from there,” Nox says. Vette, Broonmark and Andronikos quietly file out. Nox and the Wrath look critically at the remaining individuals. 

”Jaesa, first line. Satele, first line. Timmns…your call,” the Wrath says, pointing at various members of the team.

“Bring it,” Timmns says, steeling himself and joining the first line. 

”Khem, first line. Ashara and Xalek, second. You three, second line,” Nox says, gesturing to three Sith Lords from Darth Marr’s contingent. “It’s not an insult; you would not be on this strike team or in this room at all if anyone doubted your abilities.”

”Nox, Lana, I’ll cover you two. Jaesa, Khem, Satele, you back me up and monitor them,” the Wrath says. “Nox, you tell me when. Everyone else, wait for my mark before we move against the device.” 

Nox nods and takes a deep breath, centering herself. As she does, the Wrath stares at Lana’s back. She can feel the blonde Sith channeling her power and preparing, and Viri quiets the bond as much as she can, giving Lana the space to focus without interruptions. To her surprise, however, Lana turns and locks eyes with her, seeking their usual check in. Viri responds immediately, sending as much affection and strength as she can. _You’ve got this, Lana._

”Darth Nox, Lana, may the Force serve you well,” Viri says. “We’re ready when you are.” 

Nox and Lana begin the incantation, gritting their teeth slightly as the device begins to glow a deadly purple and shake. The Wrath can feel dark energy circulating through the room, and it’s enough to make her hair stand on end. Beside her, Satele Shan tightens her grip on her polesaber and bows her head. 

As the two women continue their ritual, the device begins to crack, and angry bursts of power ricochet through the room. One nearly hits one of Darth Marr’s apprentices, but he manages to deflect it with his lightsaber. Lana’s brow is covered in sweat and her eyes are steely; across from her, Darth Nox is trembling slightly. All at once, however, the device springs open. 

”Now! Go! Go!” Nox shouts, drawing her own polesaber. The Wrath gives the signal and her line springs forward, pushing through the wall of dark power to destroy the device. Within minutes, all of the Sith and Jedi are sprawled on the floor, panting, but the artifact is no more. 

The Wrath, Nox, Lana and Satele all hear the emergency signal on their comlinks simultaneously as the dust clears. 

”My lords, we have a problem out here,” Pierce says on the comlink. “There are more Revanites approaching the temple. Something seems to have signaled them to move. We have enough manpower to hold them off, but there’s also…” 

The temple shakes again, and the strike team hears the unmistakable voice of Revan. 

”You have interfered with my plans again. And you have no idea the damage you have just caused. You may have stopped me from bringing the Emperor back this time, but I will find another way. And in the meantime, I am still here.”

”I killed you before, I am happy to do it again,” the Wrath snaps. “Place and time, Revan. Let’s go.” 

”I shouldn’t be surprised that the Emperor’s champion is the first to step up,” Revan sneers. “Yes, it will give me… _immense_ satisfaction to destroy you. And then your cohorts, afterwards.” 

“Think you can actually kill him for reals?” Jaesa says. “This habit of his of not staying dead irritates the hell out of me.” 

“Yeah, I’d be down with that too,” Vette says. “I mean, not that it’s not fun running into this loser and his cult again and again. Oh wait, it’s actually _not_ fun.” 

”Levity will not save you,” Revan hisses. “I’ll be at the Forgotten Terrace.” 

* 

The Forgotten Terrace is a large circular expanse behind the Temple of Sacrifice. It reminds the Wrath immediately of both an arena and the space in which she killed Darth Arkous and Darok. 

The Wrath’s strike team, as well as other members of the coalition, line up around one side of the circle; Lady Darkspanner and the rest of the Revanite brass assemble on the other. The Wrath and Revan meet in the middle, slowly circling each other and looking for an opening. The Wrath is all intensity and rage as she marshals her power; her eyes glowing red and deadly. She has one lightsaber; Revan has two, but it doesn’t seem to matter. When she strikes, she’s able to fend off both of his sabers almost effortlessly. 

Revan slams the Wrath hard into the ground, and Lana feels her breath catch. A second later Revan has been flung into the wall of the temple with enough ferocity to crack the stones. Revan throws Force lighting; the Wrath parries it and casts fire back at him. They charge around the arena, trading blow for blow; not seeming to tire. 

Lana catches a stream of purple Force power out of the corner of her eye; Lady Darkspanner and the others are feeding strength and healing energy to Revan. Jaesa spots it too, and a second later, she throws her own healing and strength at the Wrath. Lana follows suit, and suddenly all of the other Force users – Satele Shan, Darth Marr, Darth Nox and the rest – are lending their own strength to the Wrath. Every time they glimpse blood on her face, it is healed instantly. 

The Wrath and Revan continue their battle; both drawing on reserves of seemingly endless energy from themselves and their followers. They’re both unconventional and vigorous duelists; and they seem to be unable to break their stalemate. 

”Be strong!” Lana calls. All eyes on the Wrath’s side of the circle swivel to her, and a second later, they too are shouting encouragement. 

“Kick his ass, Wrath!” Vette yells. “Bring it!!” 

“We’ve got your back, Viridana!” Jakarro shouts. 

The Wrath smirks, and a second later, fueled by the support, she laughs and renews her attack. Revan is no longer able to match her, and after a few minutes she has him on the defensive and moves in for the kill. With a deft lightsaber blow to his neck, he falls. 

The Wrath stands back, wary, her lightsaber still raised. Revan’s body has fallen, but a spectral version of him has appeared. 

“Are you fucking kidding me? How many times is it going to take to kill this bastard?” Jaesa moans. 

Revan’s specter is only concerned with his corporeal form, and they seem to be having an argument. 

”We were ready to become one with the Force.” 

”No! I cast you out so I can finish what I started!” 

”Can someone please explain why you’re not dead?” the Wrath asks, frustrated. 

The spectral version of Revan smiles. “We’ve been split. He hasn’t been ready to leave, because he’s still after the Emperor.” 

”I will not leave!” 

”You have no choice…” 

The Wrath rubs her forehead as Lana, Vette and Jaesa step up beside her. “Now there are two of them. You know what, I can’t. I just can’t with Revan. Any hope they might kill each other?” 

”You don’t need to worry about that, Wrath,” the specter of Revan says. “I’m here to collect him now.” 

“No! Not until I have revived and killed the Emperor!”

”Oh, but you _have_ revived me.” A sinister laugh echoes through the arena. ”You did not need to destroy Fleets, or make this world barren. All you had to do was point the Empire and Republic at a common enemy and let them do what they do best: make war. The scores of dead have renewed me. I have returned, and I bring death.” A ray of purple light bursts from the temple roof, making everyone in the circle stagger. 

”Don’t fret, Wrath,” Vitiate snickers. “You are still special to me. Which is why I will kill _you_ last.” With another surge of light, Vitiate departs. 

Lana glances over at the Wrath and gently probes the bond. _Defeat._ The Wrath’s hands are on her hips and she is seething. From her point of view, Lana can understand. Vitiate has returned; and Revan is still inexplicably present, despite her best efforts. 

Satele Shan seems to pick up on it, and steps in front of the Wrath. “If Revan had been able to accomplish his plan, this moon would have been destroyed,” she says. “The fleets, too. You saved a lot of lives, all of you, regardless of this unfortunate outcome.” 

To everyone’s surprise, Revan’s spirit also approaches the Wrath. “Lord Wrath. You have endured betrayal upon betrayal. You find value in restraint and virtue, and yet, you do not hesitate to embrace all sides of the Force. Your passion does give you strength. Look at how well your way has served you. You make a fine example.” The Wrath finally looks up and nods. 

“And as for _you--_ ” Revan’s specter looks at the body slumped on the ground – “You are coming with me.” With a flash of light, Revan is finally dead. His specter turns back to the Wrath. 

”You are—complete—now?” The Wrath asks. 

”I am myself again, for the first time in a long time,” Revan says, and as the assembled coalition watches, his spirit begins to flicker. “Thank you for all you’ve done. Dark days lie ahead. The darkest, if you are not able to correct my mistake. I hope, for the galaxy’s sake, that you can. May the Force be with you.” With another flash of light, Revan’s spirit and body fade away. 

The Wrath quietly extinguishes her lightsaber and returns it to her belt. Nobody talks or moves for a long moment, until a clatter on the stones makes them all look up. On the other side of the circle, the remaining Revanites have put down their weapons and raised their hands in surrender. 

”Pierce? Apprehend those traitors,” the Wrath mutters into her comlink. She continues to stand motionless as Imperial and Republic troops surge into the circle and handcuff the Revanites. 

“You defeated Revan, Wrath,” Darth Marr says. The Wrath shrugs. 

”But Vitiate…” 

”…is something we will discuss in great detail later. I do not know if any of us could have prevented him from returning, but we will need to discuss a way to stop him now that he has. On this night, however, I insist that we celebrate this victory, and all of our coalition’s triumphs over the Revanites,” Darth Marr says. 

”I concur,” Satele Shan says. “While I sense that you are disappointed, Wrath, you shouldn’t be. You killed Revan once and for all. Nobody else has been able to accomplish that for hundreds of years. Enjoy your moment.” 

”Thank you,” the Wrath says, with a slight smile. “Yes. Tonight, we savor the success we had here.” She leads the way to the coalition shuttles waiting at the edge of the forest. 

*

“Damn, that fight stung,” the Wrath mutters quietly to Lana, as she alights from the shuttle. 

”When he threw you to the ground, I swear I felt it myself,” Lana says. “That one looked like it hurt.” 

”Oh, it did,” Viri agrees. “That was the worst, actually. I was rather glad I retaliated.” She gingerly walks toward her starship. 

“Why don’t you hit the hot springs? Might soothe some of those battle bruises,” one of the Imperial troopers calls out. 

Viri and Lana look at each other. “What hot springs?!”

The Imperial trooper smiles. “Temple Cresh. There’s a crack in the roof, and there’s a pretty glorious little hot pool in one of the rooms as a result. We’ve been taking turns using it and covering each other. I thought you knew about it. Sorry that you didn’t.” 

”Can you cover us?” Viri says, smiling. 

”Of course.” 

”Hang on,” Jaesa says, marching over. “ _I’ll_ help these troopers cover you. You need a Sith out there, too.”

”Appreciated, Jae.”

“Get lost, you two,” Jaesa smiles and spins her polesaber. “Go. Enjoy.” 

*

Someone has brought a few chairs and crates into the hot springs room in the temple, and set up some torches in the corners. Lana and Viri undress in the dim light and place their clothes on the crates, out of reach of the water. 

“You’re not leaving anything on?” Lana asks curiously, as Viri removes her bra. 

”Nah,” Viri says, shucking her underclothes. “We’ll have to go back to the ship and change after, if we do.” 

”We’ll have to do that anyway,” Lana says. “You don’t want to go to the party in your battle armor, do you?” 

”The blood is a festive touch, don’t you think?” Viri smirks. 

”Insufferable brat,” Lana laughs. 

“You do have a point,” Viri says. “This armor’s a bit heavy for the occasion. Still, I’m not wearing underwear into this pool. What’s the point? It’s just us.” 

Lana looks around furtively before removing her own undergarments. “They did say they’d guard the entrance, right?” 

”That they did,” Viri says. “Jae is out there. You know her. She’ll gut someone before she’ll allow them to disturb us. Just in case, though, I’m leaving my saber close by.” 

Lana quickly slips into the water with a sigh. “Oh, Viri. You have to feel this. It’s amazing. I’m so sorry we didn’t know about this sooner, I could have used a soak like this every night.” 

Viri seems contemplative as she perches on the edge of the pool, dipping her toes into the water. “Yeah, this would have been nice after all those scouting missions.” 

”You all right?” The subdued mood Lana has noticed since the Wrath’s battle on the Forgotten Terrace is more pronounced now. In fact, Viri seems extraordinarily solemn. 

”What did we even accomplish, Lana?” Viri says, her voice infused with emotion. “All this…the battles with Arkous, you losing everything and having to run for months, these conflicts on Yavin…and why? We did away with one threat, but revived a larger one…”

”Enough,” Lana says. “Stop. You’re doing nothing but castigating yourself for something that is not your fault. It’s not your style.” 

Viri shakes her head. 

“Can’t you find something to celebrate tonight, dear one? We just went through an ancient Sith temple side by side with _Satele Shan,_ of all people. We worked as allies with Republic forces who wanted to kill us a few months ago. You defeated Revan and the rest of the Revanites surrendered. Those are not small things.” Lana puts one hand on her knee. 

”I suppose I could celebrate my last night as the Wrath,” Viri says. 

”What are you talking about?” Lana says, turning to stare at her. 

”I’m giving up my title,” Viri says quietly. 

”What?!” 

” _I will not be special to the Emperor._ I will not carry his name or be his champion, Lana. I will not be his Wrath,” Viri says. “Darth Viridana will be fine.” 

”Viri…it’s your choice, but you never _have_ been the Emperor’s Wrath, despite the name,” Lana says. 

Viri looks sharply at her. “What?!”

”Think about it. Makeb. Tell me the mission goals.” 

”Stabilize the planet so we could mine isotope-5 for the Empire.” 

”Oricon?” 

”Contain the Dread Masters and prevent them from destroying many worlds. And protect the troops that were there.”

”Rishi?”

”Eventually, it was stopping the Revanites from blowing up the Imperial and Republic Fleets, but also taking out as many slave operations as Vette and I could, and helping the Rishii villagers, and…” 

”Do you realize you haven’t mentioned the Emperor once? You’ve told me a lot of ways you’ve served the Empire, and served it well. You’ve helped a lot of people. You’ve stopped major threats. Don’t you see? You are _our_ champion, not his. Think about it. You deserve your title.”

“You don’t even like titles.” 

”I don’t like them for _myself._ I don’t deny their significance, however. As the Wrath, you have the support of the Dark Council and the freedom to help where you are most needed, not where someone’s political agenda would send you. Would Darth Viridana have that power, even if she had a Dark Council seat, or would she be too busy trying to stop all the political machinations that would invariably happen? Which would serve the Empire’s people best, Viri?” Lana rubs her calf, soothing her. 

“I could just be the Wrath, I suppose,” Viri says, reflecting. 

“Look at it that way, then. You’re _the_ Wrath. Not anyone’s Wrath in particular,” Lana says. “Keep the title. You need it, and we need you.” 

”I need _you,_ ” Viri says, her voice raw. 

”You have me,” Lana says, taking her hand and pulling her gently into the pool. “Come. Just enjoy the water and stop thinking for a little while. Will you do that, for me?”

”For you, anything,” Viri says, smiling. She hisses as the hot water hits her body, and she quickly immerses herself up to the neck. “I must admit…this feels lovely.” 

”See? Enjoy it.” Lana smiles and touches her cheek affectionately. 

”Can I hold you?” Viri says, her voice rough with emotion. 

”Of course you can,” Lana replies, kissing her gently.

A few stones have been placed in the hot springs pool to serve as benches. Viri sits down on one and pulls Lana into her lap, wrapping strong arms around her waist. Lana leans back against her and closes her eyes, enjoying the warmth and comfort. 

Viri closes her own eyes and lets the hot springs, and the woman in her arms, soothe her. _I love Lana._ The thought comforts Viri even more, and she sighs and laces one hand with Lana’s. 

* 

After their interlude in the hot springs, Viri and Lana stop by the _Tyûk_ to change for the celebration. Viri selects one of her favorite sets of simple, casual robes; the type she wears to blend in at the Imperial Fleet. 

“Nothing showy tonight?” Lana asks, surprised. 

”No. Just dressing for comfort. I love these robes,” Viri replies, clipping her lightsaber to the belt. 

”They look good on you. I love it when you keep your hair down, too,” Lana tells her, enjoying the blush that spreads across Viri’s pale cheeks. 

“Thank you,” Viri mumbles. 

“Surely you know how attractive you are,” Lana presses, wrapping her arms around Viri. “Even today, during the battle…you were beautiful.”

”I heard you, you know,” Viri whispers. “I could feel when you were giving me strength.” 

“A lot of us were,” Lana says. 

”I know. But when you did, it felt different.” Viri kisses her softly. “It meant a lot that you were there.” 

“I wouldn’t have missed it,” Lana smiles. “I felt you during the ritual, too, you know. You were trying so hard not to distract me.” 

”I hope I didn’t pull your focus,” Viri says, worried. 

”You didn’t,” Lana reassures her. “It helped to know you were there.”

“You mean so much to me, Lana,” Viri murmurs. She seems to remember something, suddenly, and breaks apart from Lana to reach into one of the pouches on her belt. “I keep meaning to give this to you. I found this in the jungle…it is not imbued with the Force and it wasn’t in any of the ruins. It was just in the grass, as though it was waiting to be found. I thought of you when I saw it.” 

”I’m laying in the grass, waiting to be found?” Lana says, amused. 

”No, no, the color made me think of you. I know you like green, and I thought you’d find this as pretty as I did. It’s for you.” Viri opens her hand and offers Lana a piece of deep green crystal. 

“I do love that color. Thank you”, Lana says, touched. Her hand brushes against Viri’s as she takes the crystal. Viri smiles shyly at her, and she feels it shoot straight to her heart. 

_I love her._

The realization is neither frightening nor unwanted to Lana; it is as though she’s finally figured out the solution to a particularly difficult puzzle. She’s been feeling an undercurrent of love with Viri for weeks, and now it’s finally clear to her. She smiles back at Viri and kisses the crystal. 

_I can’t tell her. Not now. When we get back to Dromund Kaas…I’ll do it right._

“Lana?” Viri’s brow is wrinkled. “Are you all right?” 

”I was just thinking, dear one,” Lana says, smiling reassuringly at her. “Shall we join the party?”

*

The coalition celebration is in full swing when Lana and Viri emerge in the clearing. The revelry is still segregated; Imperials huddle on one side of the field; Republic on the other. Still, they’re sharing drinks and merriment in the same space, and that alone is progress.

A small, brave cross-faction group, including the two Dark Council members and their teams, along with Satele Shan, Somminick Timmns and Theron, is clustered around a bonfire. The two Sith gravitate toward them, finding seats next to Vette and Jaesa. 

“Welcome, Wrath,” Satele says, with a slight smile. “There’s food and drink. Please enjoy.” 

“Thank you,” Viri says, with a shy grin. “I appreciate that.” 

”I’ve been told you don’t eat meat, so we made some vegetable dishes for you,” Somminick says. “Tython favorites. Care to try, Lana, Viri?” 

”I’d love to,” Viri says, accepting the plates that Timmns hands her and passing one to Lana. Her face lights up as she takes a spoonful of the food. “This is delicious.” 

“This is very, very good,” Lana agrees, and tucks into her meal. 

“Something you actually like about the Jedi?” Somminick says, teasingly. 

”You can cook. I’ll give you that,” Viri laughs, and proceeds to clean her plate. 

Someone brings out an ambient droid to play the latest hits from Nar Shaddaa, and it isn’t long before people are dancing in the clearing. It isn’t much longer before Viri, Vette and Jaesa are among them, losing themselves in the music. 

Lana looks on from the edge of the fire. She’s never watched Viri dance – not like this – and the sight is captivating. Viri’s arms are in the air, her eyes are closed and she’s swiveling her hips as though she’s the only person on Yavin 4. The crowds joining in on the dance floor seem to energize her. Vette and Jaesa dance nearby, and Lana spots Pierce wrapped around an Imperial officer at the edge of the clearing. 

”No dancing for you, Lana?” Theron asks, sitting next to her. The coalition allies have drifted away from the fire, one by one. Darth Nox and Ashara are sitting quietly together in a corner, Somminick Timmns is encouraging his shy padawans to get up and dance, and Satele is sitting on the edge of the clearing, having a drink. 

“Not my thing,” Lana says, smiling slightly. “Not yours, either, I take it?” 

”Not at all,” Theron says. They sit together silently, watching the dancers. “How’s it going with her?” 

”Viri?” Lana says, surprised. Theron has never asked her about her relationship with Viri, and she hasn’t volunteered. Even during their time on the run from the Dark Council and the SIS, it had been taken as an unspoken given that Lana was involved with the Wrath, and Theron had never asked her to elaborate.

“Before I met her, I thought she was a monster,” Theron admits. “She’s not.” 

”She never was,” Lana says, looking into the fire. “She’s compassionate. Fierce. She doesn’t hesitate to do what needs to be done, and the Jedi might not always agree with her actions, but she’s not a monster.” 

“You care about her,” Theron says. 

Lana hesitates before she answers. Discussing her attachment to Viri with an SIS spy is something that sends up red flags in her mind. She’s fond of Theron, but in the back of her mind, she is aware that they will not be allies after tomorrow. 

”The nature of our relationship is not something I’m comfortable discussing, Theron,” she finally says. “I hope you understand.” 

”Understood,” says Theron, rising and walking away. 

Lana sighs and walks away from the bonfire. There’s a temple on the edge of the clearing, and she climbs the steps to the terrace to watch the dancers. Every now and then she thinks she spots Viri’s blonde hair or Vette’s blue lekku in the fray, but with the motion of the crowd, it’s hard to tell. 

A cheer goes up from the crowd as fireworks burst above the clearing. Red. Blue. Red again. Both Imperial and Republic personnel are setting them off, showering the sky with festive sparks. Lana leans against the stone wall of the terrace and enjoys the show. 

“Hey.” There’s a voice behind her. Viri stands on the edge of the terrace, a tall shadow against the bonfires in the clearing. ”Do you want company?” 

Lana smiles slightly and nods. “From you? Always. I just needed to get out of the crowds. It’s quiet here.” 

Viri says nothing, but puts one hand around Lana’s waist and pulls her close. Lana’s arms wrap around her. They stand silently together, their hearts full, watching the fireworks paint the ruins red and blue with joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beautiful art of Viri and Lana commissioned from hergreywarden: hergreywarden.tumblr.com
> 
> Thank you to Celith Wraine for the hot springs prompt that shows up again in this chapter! :)
> 
> The Temple of Sacrifice presented here is obviously different than the one that appears in SWTOR as an Operation. That's deliberate. :) 
> 
> Some of Revan and Vitiate's speeches are paraphrased from the Shadow of Revan expansion to SWTOR. Revan's comment to the Wrath is the one you receive if your Wrath is aligned Light Side.


	23. Intricate Entanglements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a rough chapter. There's **nothing** triggering that I am aware of, but if you've played Shadow of Revan, you probably know what's coming with this installment. If not...the course of true love never does run straight, so expect some major angst and shakeups in this chapter. Thank you for reading. <3

Morning breaks on Yavin 4, and two blonde Sith lords sleep side by side, their arms wrapped around each other. 

“Are you planning on waking up any time today, Viri?” Lana says, propping her head on her hand and smiling down at her. 

”If I must,” Viri says. “We have nothing to do today, Lana. Nobody to kill. No missions to run. It’s beautiful.” 

”Have you somehow forgotten Vitiate, who still wants to kill us all?” 

“Now I haven’t,” Viri says, making a face. “Can we agree never ever to say the name ‘Vitiate’ while we’re in bed?” 

”Fair enough,” Lana chuckles. “We do have goodbyes to make today, though. The camp…and our alliance with the Republic…will be dissolving now. It’s a bit of a pity, isn’t it?” 

”Yes,” Viri says. “I’m sorry to lose this unity.”

”As am I,” Lana says. “But I’m hoping that Marr and Nox will take this spirit back to the Dark Council. From what you told me, the paradigm was already shifting after Darth Malgus’s betrayal. Hopefully this will be the catalyst for more.” 

”Have you thought at all about what you want to do when we go back to the Empire, Lana? I don’t think you want my help, but if you do, I can make some holocalls. I don’t have a staff, really, other than my crew, but…I’d like to be able to see you. I know we haven’t talked about this, but…I hope you’ll still be in my life.” 

”That’s a given,” Lana says, with a smile. “I don’t think I could be without you, you brat. Whatever I do, I doubt it will be far from you. Remember what I said about the Imperial Reclamation Service? I’ve been talking with Nox. She isn’t sure there’s a place for me yet, but I might get to work there after all.” 

”I think that would be perfect for you,” Viri beams. “Can I give the archaeologist-to-be a congratulatory kiss?” 

”Do I get to decide where the kiss will be?” Lana quips, drawing Viri into her arms and nuzzling her nose. 

”You can. But I have some ideas of my own,” Viri says. 

”Do elaborate,” Lana laughs, as Viri rolls on top of her and smiles. 

* 

Viri and Lana finally make their way out of the ship in the late morning. As Lana had predicted, the camp is being disassembled, and Imperial and Republic personnel are saying their farewells and leaving Yavin. The peace accord stipulates that no fighting is to occur on Yavin, and that every ship that leaves the moon will be given a wide berth to return to the Imperial or Republic fleets or home worlds, unencumbered. 

Master Timmns meets Viri by the ruins in the afternoon, and they stroll together, companionably, in silence. 

”A Jedi and a Sith, walking side by side as friends. If only that could be a more common occurrence,” Somminck finally says. 

“I wish it were,” Viri says. “Theron mentioned the idea of a Sith - Jedi Ambassador. I don’t think it’s a bad concept at all. We’re all Force users. So are the Voss mystics. There are others. We don’t have to believe the same things. Understanding that might help us all.” 

”I wish the Jedi Council would embrace such an idea,” Somminick says. “Master Shan is the most flexible of them, which probably tells you all you need to know. Still…a new order might.”

”What are you thinking?” 

”I’ve tried to effect change within the Order. It hasn’t worked. I am not leaving, not officially, but I will be relocating to Nar Shaddaa with any padawans who wish to join me, and I will be giving them more freedom than the Order does. If they still have parents or other family, I will be encouraging them to get in touch. Nar Shaddaa is neutral, and we will thus be free from the Empire and the Republic alike. We will talk. We will question, and we will learn.”

”I’m guessing that Maili and Kelso will be among them.” 

”Indeed they will. Maili…is feeling more at home with the Dark Side. At one time I might have tried to dissuade her. Now I’m wondering why she shouldn’t embrace the Force as she feels most comfortable. She wants to remain with my group, and her perspective will hopefully help us all learn.” 

“I have a home in Nar Shaddaa. Let me know when you’re in town, and you will be welcome to come to dinner sometime. I’ll be happy to speak to your padawans, as I did here. I'll even try not to make them faint or cry, although there are no guarantees.”

“I never expected we would genuinely become friends, Viridana.” 

”Neither did I,” Viri smiles. “I’m glad I didn’t kill you on Belsavis.” 

”Likewise.” Somminck’s holo begins beeping insistently. “I’m needed back at the base, but I’ll keep in touch. I’m giving you my holo coordinates. May…may the Force serve you well.” 

Viri’s eyes widen with pleased surprise at Somminick’s use of the Sith benediction, and she responds in kind. “Here are mine. May the Force be with you.” 

* 

Darth Marr assembles the core team for farewells in the ruins, away from the Republic contingent. 

”I think we have demonstrated, through our actions here, that unity is not only possible, but important,” Marr says. 

”When the Council works together and doesn’t try to tear each other’s throats out, we accomplish things,” Darth Nox says, leaning against the wall. “Would that can continue. My team has documented as many of the ruins as we could, and we will be bringing artifacts from Yavin 4 to Korriban for further study. With or without Revan, the artifacts and ruins here are formidable, and they are helping us join the dots with some of Vitiate’s attributes. There may be something here that is a key to defeating him.” 

”And you, Wrath?” Marr says. 

”I will be returning to the Empire, of course,” the Wrath says. “I will make myself available to both of you for missions, Marr and Nox. I trust that you have the Empire’s best interests in mind and will not waste anyone’s time.” 

”I’d like a word with you, Wrath,” Marr says, gesturing to the clearing. “May we?” 

The Wrath and Marr walk side by side to the other side of the ruins before Marr speaks again. “We have accomplished much. You saved Makeb, and the isotope-5 we are recovering will help us remain ahead of the Republic Navy. The Empire can progress now, without the threat of Revan. Yet, I wonder how the Emperor's transformation has affected, you, his Wrath. Illuminate me.” 

The Wrath looks at Darth Marr and steels herself. “I disavow the Emperor. I have doubted his motives for some time, but after what we have seen on this moon, I can no longer use his name in any fashion. I would prefer to remain the Wrath - without his name - because I feel it is how I can best serve the Empire. However, if that is untenable, and it means I return to being Darth Viridana, so be it.” 

”You feel that you serve the Empire, then?” 

”Of course I do. I thought the Emperor’s goals were congruent with mine, which is why I accepted the title of Wrath. They are not.” 

“And this does not upset you?” 

The Wrath smiles. “I have had numerous paradigm shifts in my life, Darth Marr. This is just one more.” 

”You are the _Empire’s_ Wrath. The Emperor may have abandoned you, but you are our champion. I would not see you relinquish your title. You protect our Empire and its people, and it is an honor that we have you.” 

The Wrath nods solemnly. “Force willing, I will continue to do so.” They walk back to the assembled group in the ruins. 

”I think this concludes our meeting,” Darth Marr says. “However, Lana Beniko – I would speak to you privately.” Viri nods and leaves the room with Vette and her team. 

“Now that we are alone, Lana Beniko, I would like some truth from you. You managed to uncover the Revanites’ plot. You saved the Empire, even though we branded you a traitor, most unfairly. Why?” Marr crosses his arms. 

”Because I actually do care about the Empire, my lord,” Lana says. “I care deeply. I had faith that once the truth was uncovered, I would no longer be considered a traitor.” 

”And you involved Viridana Dragoi in this.” 

”I couldn’t have done this without the Wrath,” Lana says. “She was cynical about Darth Arkous’s motives from the beginning, and I was able to trust her implicitly. She not only supported me enough to be there when I needed her, she trusted my abilities and supported me enough to step back when I was considered a traitor and let things work out.” 

”Impressive,” Darth Marr says. “The Empire owes you a great debt, Lana Beniko. As part of paying that debt: I think you have fully earned a better title. I therefore name you Darth…” 

”No.” 

”What?”

”I don’t want the title. It’s been offered to me before. I turned it down then; I turn it down now.” 

“You don’t want to be a Darth,” Marr says incredulously. 

”No, I don’t. I am proud to be Sith, Darth Marr. Very proud. However, my focus is on truth, knowledge, and the Force. I have no interest in titles or status.” 

”You are unusual, Lana.” 

”I am fine with that, my lord.” 

”Do you even want to know what your name would have been?” 

”No, thank you. I am sure you had something in mind that was powerful and dignified, but I am not interested.” 

“I see.” Darth Marr paces from one end of the room to the other. “Regardless of the title you carry, the Empire needs you, Lana. Have you considered what you will do after we leave Yavin?”

“Both the Wrath and Darth Nox have expressed an interest in my working with them.”

”And I am sure that you would excel with either of them. However, Lana, the fact that a plot of this nature nearly succeeded – that the Revanites were able to progress so far with their preparations without being discovered – is a dilemma we need to prevent in the future. I need to revive our Intelligence capabilities. It should not have fallen to you to uncover this conspiracy. It should have been detected and dealt with very early on.”

”I see.” 

”That is where you come in. I need someone to head Sith Intelligence. I want it to be you.” 

”My lord, that is not my background at all – “ 

”You are bright, motivated, trustworthy and loyal to the Empire. Your work in thwarting the Revanites has proven your worth. I want a Sith in control of the agency; not a civilian. I ask that you take on this responsibility.” Marr crosses his arms, and Lana has the distinct feeling that there is only one answer he will accept. 

”Very well, my lord,” Lana says. “I…thank you for your confidence in my abilities.” 

”You will return to Dromund Kaas with my flagship tomorrow morning.”

”My lord, I was actually planning on returning to Kaas City with the Wrath…” 

”I expect you at my flagship at dawn, Lana,” Darth Marr says sternly. “Some of the other individuals I want for Intelligence already work with me. You can collaborate with them during the journey to Kaas City and be prepared to hit the ground running when we land.” 

”As you wish, my lord,” Lana says, disappointed. “If there’s nothing else, I should go say farewell to our Republic allies. I will see you in the morning.” 

“Very well. Oh, and Lana?”

”Yes, Darth Marr?”

”I expect you to give this position your full attention, at least for the time being,” Darth Marr says, looking down at her. “The stakes are too high for you to be distracted.” 

”What do you mean?” Lana says, although she already knows. _No. Don’t ask me to do that. Please._

“I think you know precisely what I mean. I need all of my Intelligence personnel to be fully committed to the task at hand. I am well aware of your relationship with the Wrath, and at this time, it cannot stand. I will require your complete concentration while we re-stabilize the Empire…and I need hers, too. It isn’t going to be a one-time battle, like this matter with Revan. It’s going to be a long war. There must be no distractions or attachments that can possibly be used against you, or her.”

“With all due respect, my lord, that’s not a fair request. My personal life is not anyone’s concern.” 

”Nothing about a war is fair.” Marr crosses his arms. “Both the Jedi Grand Master and a major SIS operative are aware of your relationship, do you not think they will find a way to use it against you and the Wrath? Think carefully on that, Lana. She doesn’t have to listen to me. You, on the other hand…”

“My lord…” 

”You can take care of this, or I will. Which will it be?” 

”I comprehend your meaning,” Lana says, as a sharp pain pools in the pit of her stomach. 

“Good. I will not ask this of you forever. But I will ask it, for now, while the situation is critical. And you will tell her before we leave this moon.” 

* 

Lana paces in circles in the empty expanse of the ruins. It’s not right. It’s not fair. And yet she knows she has no choice but to comply with Darth Marr’s orders. She could tell Viri, and she’d kill Marr, and that would be the end of it. Or Marr could kill her, so the Wrath would have absolute focus. Neither scenario would be acceptable. 

She and Viri have shared their bodies, minds and souls with each other. Their Force bond is permanent; Lana knows it without understanding how. They’ve shown vulnerability and truly trusted each other as they never have with anyone else. _I can’t do this to Viri. I can’t do this to myself._ Lana exhales heavily and leans her head against the wall. She hasn’t cried in years, but she finds herself very close to tears as she sinks to the ground and puts her head in her hands. 

The gentle sound of footsteps echoes across the stones, and Vette emerges on the landing. 

”Hello.” Her face is somber, and she’s looking suspiciously at Lana. “Viri forgot her datapad up here. I came back for it.” 

“You heard what he said, didn’t you, Vette?” 

“Yep. And I think it sucks.” Vette sits down beside Lana. “He has no right to interfere with your private life. Isn’t that a Jedi thing, assuming attachments are bad?” 

”As much as I hate Marr’s order, he’s not doing it out of malice or misguided ideology. The Empire’s in a precarious position, and focus is required.” 

”Viri’s fully capable of focusing when she’s working. She’s the Wrath, for Force’s sake. She wouldn’t be alive right now if she wasn’t able to focus! I think you are, too. You’ve both proven that here, haven’t you? You’re not children who need to be told to concentrate. You’re _Sith,_ damn it.” 

“I tend to agree with you, Vette. There’s no reason, in my mind, that we cannot be professional and be together at the same time. But there’s also the matter that our relationship could very easily be used against us. The fact is that our relationship is now public information for the SIS and some of the Republic's military officers, and that could be dangerous for both of us. I’m sure Marr doesn’t want a situation where Viri is blackmailed or her hand is forced because I’ve been captured, for instance.” 

”Seriously? Her hand will be forced regardless if you’re officially together. She won’t let anyone hurt you, and I’ll go out on a limb and say you’d protect her, too. It’s too late for that angle now. I’m sure you know that. And if he’s really worried about that, he might as well get rid of me and the rest of Viri’s crew, too.”

”I know,” Lana puts her head in her hands again. “She would protect me, and there’s no way I’d let her get hurt. Not on my watch.” 

“You know, this is her greatest fear.” 

”What?” 

”Did she ever tell you about when she met the Dread Masters?” 

”No. Not in any detail, Vette. She said they were ‘easy’ to defeat, in fact.” 

”It’s a long story. Yes, she did take them down very easily, and she bounced their fear projections when almost nobody else could - but at one point, she bargained with them. They said they’d kill one Imperial soldier for every Dread trooper she’d killed…unless she told them a secret.”

”And she did.” 

”Of course she did. She told them that there weren’t very many people in the galaxy that she was close to, and the thought of losing them scared her. Out of all the things she could have said, that was the first thing that came to mind.” Vette looks at Lana. “She’s not going to take this well.” 

”This is something beyond both of us. I’m sure she’ll understand that. And Darth Marr did say it was only for now…” 

”Damn, you’re actually saying that with a straight face? If you think you’re going to have a mature discussion and she’s going to smile, nod and walk away, you’re kidding yourself. Not on this issue. You know her far better than that. I would bet every credit I own that she will be a complete wreck about this.“ 

“Yes, I do know her better than that,” Lana sighs. ”That’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t want to hurt her.” 

Vette looks Lana square in the face. “But you will. You make her vulnerable in a way I’ve never seen before. With everyone else, including me, she’s stronger than any one person should have to be. With you? She’s just Viri. She protects the Empire, but you protect her. I suppose that’s what Marr’s worried about.”

”Your assessment is spot on, but I don’t think Marr understands the extent of our relationship,” Lana says. “He only sees it as a weakness. _I_ find it…a strength. “ 

”Of course it’s a strength.” Vette says. “You two are good for each other. If she thinks you don’t care about her, it’s going to tear her heart out, no matter how kind you are about it. I…do hope you will be kind.” 

”How could you think I won’t be kind to Viri?! I don’t want to do this.” Lana turns to Vette. “You’ll look after her, right? I think she’s really going to need to have some support after we…talk.” 

”That’s my sister we’re talking about. She’ll have all the support she needs from me.” Vette reaches into her pocket. “Guess I should give you this now, since I won’t have the chance later. I had these made for you and Viri.” She holds out a small holo-portrait and activates it. Lana’s surprised to see an image of herself and Viri. 

”When did you take this photo?” Lana asks. 

”When you were watching the fireworks yesterday. You were so happy together,” Vette says sadly.

“This separation is just for now, Vette,” Lana says quietly, extending her hand to take the portrait. “Thank you for this. And I’m glad you will be there for her, so she won’t be alone.” 

“What about you? Who’s going to help you, Lana? Do you have friends back on Dromund Kaas, or...” 

”Don’t worry about me,” Lana says, looking away. “My concern is Viri. Not myself. I’d imagine Darth Marr will keep me too busy to think about much.” 

“But not too busy to feel. Or to remember. After what you both told me, won’t this really hurt?” 

”Drop it, Vette.” 

“Does Marr know about your…” 

”No, and don’t you dare even think of telling him. Don't even say it out loud or think about it. If it’s known, Viri and I could potentially be harmed further.” 

”Then tell Viri what he’s forcing you to do. She’ll make mincemeat out of him.” 

”Yes, she would,” Lana says. “If I told her, I daresay she’d want to kill him. And we both know she could do so. Easily. But he’s one of the most reasonable Sith the Dark Council has ever seen. He’s essentially the head of the Council and head of the Empire right now. If he fell, we would descend into yet another power struggle. We need to be able to work together, and it is in everyone’s best interests if Viri doesn’t take him out. Viri’s very smart. She’d realize that it was best not to kill Marr too, once she thought about it. We have to consider the Empire, Vette. If there’s no Empire and the Republic kills us all, we won’t have to worry about our relationship, will we?” 

”This is a mess,” Vette says. “Viri defeated Revan. You’re getting a new job with a decent Dark Council member. But I can’t help feeling that you’re both losing, anyway.”

*

”Farewell, Theron,” Viri says, offering him her hand. “I’m truly sorry we’re on opposite sides again.”

“The offer’s always open to defect to the Republic, you know. Both for you and Lana, and anyone else you’d like to bring along. Lana’s already told me that’s a hard no for her, but I’ll still offer.” 

”Theron, look at me,” Viri says wryly. “Do I look like a Jedi to you?” 

”Well…no.” 

”Exactly. Although I appreciate the offer, I am a Sith. I hope that one day that won’t be a barrier to resuming our friendship.”

”Oh, we’re still friends,” Theron says. “Just friends who aren’t friendly at work. How’s that?” 

”Fair enough. Keep in touch, Theron. Preferably not with bombs over Kaas City.” 

“Good luck, Viri. Lana. I hope my job keeps me away from both of you.” 

”Likewise,” Lana says, shaking Theron’s hand. She and Viri watch silently as he walks to his new shuttle and takes off. 

Lana wordlessly takes Viri’s hand and begins to walk deeper into the jungle. They both know the path; it’s no surprise to either of them when they end up at one of the abandoned temples. They climb to the roof and look out over Yavin 4 together. In the distance, shuttles and ships of all sizes and factions are flying away from the coalition base, one by one. 

“And then there were two,” Viri says, breaking the silence. 

”And then there were two. It’s a wonder we’re even here, considering all we have had to endure. When I was advisor to Darth Arkous, I would have never imagined all of this.” 

“That’s before you met me,” Viri says with a grin. “It turns out that we make a good team.” 

”Yes, we’ve managed very well together up until now,” Lana says, looking out at the jungle. 

”Until now?” Viri frowns. “You’re upset. I can feel it. What’s wrong?”

Lana looks into Viri’s eyes. “Viri…Darth Marr has taken notice of my accomplishments and has plans for my future. He wants me to lead Sith Intelligence.” 

”Congratulations!” Viri says. “I think you’ll do well with Darth Marr. I sense that you’re not happy about this job, though.”

”Thank you,” Lana says faintly. “You’re right. I’m not happy about it at all. I’d have greatly preferred to go with Nox, but Marr made it clear that refusal was not an option. I am not yet sure exactly what Marr’s plans look like. What’s clear, though, is that I’ll need to re-establish order in my life. That means doing away with any…intricate entanglements.” 

Viri stares at her, and her eyes grow wide as she understands Lana’s words.

”You can’t be saying…” 

“Please don’t make this any harder than it already is. You’ve been close to me like no other. Whatever may come to pass between us, never forget that,” Lana says. She’s rehearsed this speech several times in her mind, and it had sounded kind to her, but actually saying it is far more horrible than she’d ever anticipated. Even to her own ears, it sounds cruel. 

“I’m an _entanglement?_ ” 

Lana feels panic rising in her throat. “I didn’t mean that in a negative way! Just that I need to be able to fully focus on my new duties without anything else taking my attention at this time…” 

“Oh, I see. I certainly wouldn’t want to inconvenience you.” Viri’s voice catches, and Lana’s hit with a wave of raw emotion through their bond. _Confusion. Anguish. Utter despair_.

”No, Viri, wait…” Lana reaches out and grabs her arm. Viri shakes her off. Her hurt is almost tangible, and her Force signature has gone completely red. She won’t even look at Lana.

” _Don’t touch me._ I…thought we meant more to each other than this. My mistake. Goodbye, Lana. ”

_She thinks I don’t care about her._ The realization hits Lana with all the pain of a saber strike to the chest. 

”Damn it, Viri, listen to me!"

Viri exhales and walks in a circle with her hands on her hips. "All right. I'm listening." 

Lana takes a deep breath before she speaks. "I feel how upset you are. But it's hurting _me_ that you think I don't care. Don't you know me better than that, Viri? Nobody’s ever meant as much to me as you have. _No one._ What needs to happen…it doesn’t mean I have stopped caring for you. I haven’t, and I won’t. I care very deeply. But we still have to end things for now. For now, not forever…” 

”Why are you doing this, Lana? Did I do something?” 

”No, dearest. You did nothing wrong. It’s not about you. At all.” 

"Is someone blackmailing you? Are you in danger? Tell me. I'll take care of it."

"Nobody is blackmailing me," Lana says. "This isn't something I want, but it's not that."

”And how long is ‘for now?’” 

”I…don’t know.”

Viri rubs her forehead with one hand. “So let me get this straight. I’m listening, I really am, and yet I can’t make any sense of what you’re saying to me. You care deeply – and yes, I feel that, Lana, I do – but you’re breaking up with me, and you can’t tell me why, and you want to start up again at some point, but you don’t know when. Does that sound at all confusing to you?” 

”It does,” Lana admits. ”All I can do is ask you to trust me, and trust in our connection to work things out when it’s time.” 

“You’re serious about this.” Viri still won't look at Lana. 

”I’m afraid so.” Lana gently puts her hand under Viri's chin and tilts her face up. "Dear one...I'm so sorry."

"So am I." Viri's face is streaked with tears, and she’s bitten through her lip to the point of drawing blood. 

“No…oh, no. Don’t cry. Please, Viri...” 

“Why wouldn't I cry? Do you have any idea how much you mean to me?” Viri can barely talk through her tears, and she's exuding so much pain that Lana physically feels it through their bond, down to her bones. There’s nothing left of the Wrath in her; she wraps her own arms around herself, as though she’s cold, and her shoulders shake as she sobs.

Lana can feel tears gathering, hot behind her eyes. Every single wall she has carefully constructed for herself has been slowly shattering under the weight of her own agony at Marr’s edict. Viri’s pain and anger are enough to strike the final blow to any remaining composure she might have.

“I don’t _want_ to leave you. I…” _I love you._ Lana stops herself before she says it; shoves it from her mind immediately. It would serve no purpose in this moment, save to confuse and upset Viri even more, and she knows it. But she knows that not saying it doesn’t stop it from being true. 

“Seeing you this way is breaking my heart. Please don't turn away from me, Viri, I can't take it, I need you...” Lana’s voice breaks as she holds out her arms.

“I’ve got you. I’ve always got you.” Viri cries harder, and stumbles over her words, but she’s suddenly sitting on the ground with Lana in her lap, clutching her close. Beyond the sheer anguish, Lana feels Viri’s affection and concern for her so intensely that it resonates in every nerve in her body. 

Lana gives in to the tears, burying her face in Viri’s chest to hide them. But Viri knows, and begins to stroke Lana’s hair with one hand, offering as much comfort as she can. She’s never seen Lana fall apart, and she knows there’s nothing that will stop it at that particular moment. But she does all that she can, holding Lana tightly and whispering words of endearment to her in Sith and Basic. She hears the same words echoed back to her as Lana tries to comfort her, too. 

They both cry; they both soothe. A cacophony of anguished emotions and thoughts sizzles between them through their bond. _I’m here right here don’t leave me I need you I can’t I can I will I can’t stand this pain I love you don’t cry I love you too don’t tell but yes_

By the time they’ve worn themselves out, the sun has dropped below the horizon and the air has grown cold. They remain locked in their embrace, silent, listening to Yavin’s creatures wake up for the night. Viri wraps her robe around them both with the Force, keeping the twilight chill at bay. Her head rests on Lana’s, seeking every bit of contact she can get. 

“I can’t believe this is really happening.” Viri’s voice has lost all its defiance, and is simply weary and sad. “I don’t understand at all, and I can’t pretend that I do. But if stepping away is what you need right now, I’ll do it. For you. No more questions asked. Just know…the second you need me, I’ll be there. Even if we can’t resume this for the time being.”

Lana tightens her arms around Viri as more tears fall. “This is more painful to me than anything ever has been. _I will come back._ You’re far too precious for me to leave behind. I promise you that with everything I have.” 

“I could tell you to keep your promise,” Viri whispers, “But…I trust that you will."

Lana looks up and brushes some of Viri’s stray curls out of her face, running gentle fingers soothingly over her forehead. The actions make Viri cry again, and Lana reaches over and kisses her eyelids, one by one. “We still have one night left together on Yavin, Viri. Can we find something more than tears in it?”

“What do you mean?” 

”This.” Lana frames Viri’s face with both hands and kisses her gently. The taste of tears is on their lips; salt and anger and sadness. 

”Take me to the ship, dear one,” Lana whispers, stroking Viri’s cheeks with her thumbs and wiping away the stray tears that still fall from her eyes. "We don't have to do anything. But let me hold you as long as I can." 

*

They spend the rest of the night, and the early morning, committing each other to memory. Savoring every touch. Every kiss. Every gasp. Every bit of sensation that sparks through their bond. The way they seem to fit together perfectly. The feel of each other’s skin under their fingertips and lips. They do not give in to fatigue or sadness; they celebrate each other until Lana has to leave at sunrise.

When she’s finally alone, Viri curls up on her bed, where Lana’s scent lingers on the sheets. Lana has left her black mercenary scarf to remember her by, and Viri wraps it around her shoulders. She almost misses the small piece of paper wedged between her pillow and the mattress. There’s just one sentence, written in High Sith in a precise, neat hand. 

_I will see you in the stars and feel you in the sun until we are us again._


	24. Aftermath

_Shadow-born and strong, dreaming lucid._  
_You feel the sun and rise to victory._  
_Do not despair, little demon._  
_You are made to burn like the stars_  
_And light your path in passion._ – Ancient Sith benediction, tattooed on Viri’s shoulder

**Lana**

Lana unlocks the door to her new home in Kaas City. Most of her personal effects – seized when she was on the run after Darth Arkous’s death - have been recovered from the evidence warehouse at Imperial headquarters, thanks to Darth Marr’s influence. He’s arranged for her to move into a luxurious flat near the Citadel. 

Her new protocol and astromech droids have already been programmed with her routines; they meet her at the door and take her cloak. The tea is brewing and her dinner is being prepared. The fridge and bar are fully stocked. There are floor to ceiling windows in some of the rooms, and Kaas City’s skies are alive with speeders and small spacecraft. After being away from Dromund Kaas for nearly a year, Lana finds that the lightning and thunder aren’t so comforting anymore. She misses seeing the sun. 

Lana shrugs out of her armor and into her pajamas. There's a large blue and purple outer robe with a hood at the foot of her bed, and as she slips into it, she closes her eyes and inhales the heady scent of sandalwood. It smells like Viri because it is one of her favorite robes, given to Lana to remember her by. Viri is taller than she is, and the robe is far too large for her, but she doesn't care. She's simply rolled up the sleeves and hemmed the edges so the garment doesn't drag on the floor. 

There are numerous couches and chairs around the apartment, but they're all unoccupied. The extra bedrooms in the flat are empty, and Lana keeps their doors closed so she doesn't have to look at them. In her own bedroom the supply locker is half-full, a marked contrast to the one on Viri's ship, which was full to bursting. Her own clothes and armor - all in various shades of green, black and gray - seem lost without Viri's electric colors hanging next to them. Her personal holo is on the table, but nobody's calling her now. 

During the day she's too busy to think; too busy to feel. Trying to re-establish a functional agency from the ashes of Imperial Intelligence is a gargantuan undertaking, especially since she only has a skeleton crew with which to work. Nights, though, nights are difficult. As she walks through the apartment, Lana wraps Viri's robe more securely around her. Her loneliness is enough to chill her to the bone, despite the robe and the warm cup of tea and bourbon in her hands.

Every single person she’s known and liked over the past year is gone. All of them, without exception. Theron Shan? Back to the SIS, and now officially an adversary again. Jakarro and C2-D4? On Rishi, where they are incommunicado. Vette, and the rest of Viri’s motley crew: serving their Wrath faithfully, somewhere in the galaxy. The members of Darth Marr’s crew she’d come to know during their time in Yavin: back with their master. Darth Nox and her crew are immersed in their artifacts in the archives on Korriban; she doubts she would see them much even if they were on Dromund Kaas. Even her old protocol and astromech droids, the ones she'd owned before all hell broke loose with Arkous and Darok, are gone. 

And Viri. _Viri._ Their bond is bleeding, because Viri is out in the galaxy too, and they are cut off from each other. Lana remembers the words of the soothsayer on Rishi: _You will run together. And then your paths will diverge. And then you will find each other again._

There had been one flame in the soothsayer’s prophecy that had crashed and nearly been extinguished. Lana had never been able to ascertain which of them it had been - her or Viri. As she looks around her empty, silent apartment, though, she can’t help but believe that it’s her, because the complete loneliness is crushing her soul.

Lana places her unfinished tea on the bedside table, next to the green Yavin crystal and the holo-portrait of Viri and her. Her hand hovers over the holo's activation button, but she can’t bring herself to turn it on. Seeing Viri is simply too difficult for her to bear. She picks up the crystal instead, and holds it to her lips. She clutches it her hand as she curls up on her bed and listens listlessly to the rain and thunder outside, and when the tears start, she does not stop them. 

* 

**Viri**

The Wrath’s crew clusters around her cabin door, concern splashed across their faces. 

“Viri…” Vette knocks gently on the door. “How are you doing in there?” There’s no answer. 

”So much pain. She’s not even shielding it right now,” Jaesa mutters. “I’ve never seen her like this.” 

“Who should I kill to make Sith Clan happy again?” asks Broonmark. 

Pierce shakes his head. “There’s always one that will make a person fall apart this way. But she needs to walk it off.” 

”Viri? I’m coming in.” Vette has started barging in at least once a day to check on Viri and force her to eat something. Viri hasn’t bothered to protest.

As usual, Viri is sprawled on her bed with Lana's scarf wrapped around her shoulders. Miraculously, she’s showered today, but hasn’t bothered changing out of her bathrobe or brushing her hair. She doesn’t look up when Vette enters her cabin, closing and locking the door behind her. 

”How are you doing, Viri?” Vette says, putting one hand on her bare foot. “I see you’re taking another rest day, but this is now the fifth in a row.”

Viri turns her head slightly to look at Vette. Her face is visibly swollen and her eyes are red from hours of crying. 

”Don’t you Sith learn to use your pain to gain strength? Something in the Sith Code?” Vette offers. 

”Whatever.” 

”I don’t know what this is like,” Vette says heavily. “But I do know what it’s like to lose someone you care about. Friends, family being ripped away for one reason or another…I’ve been through that, Viri. I know that it sucks. You’ve been through that with me, in fact. But do you think Lana would want you to be grieving this way?” 

”Who the fuck cares what she wants? She left me.” Viri says bitterly, staring at the ceiling. 

Vette pats Viri’s foot again, seeking to give her some reassuring contact. “The fact that you’ve been locked in this cabin, crying for the last century - never mind that you won't let go of that scarf - would suggest that you care.” 

“She needs me. I feel it. She’s upset and alone and she needs me, and I can’t go to her.” Viri curls up in a ball. “Her pain…it hurts me, Vette. The bond…” 

”You’re not just crying this way for yourself. You’re crying for her.” Vette realizes it all at once, and she is stunned. 

”Lana doesn’t like to cry. Of course I’m crying for her. I can’t stop her from hurting. I can’t even stop this agony for myself. I’m supposed to protect the Empire, but what about her?” 

”I’m sure Darth Marr and his team are looking out for Lana’s safety.” 

”No, Vette…she needs _me._ It’s like someone cut open my chest and carved my heart out. I know she feels the same pain. I can’t even sleep without feeling it.” 

“Viri…you and she did what you needed to. What Darth Marr asked.” Vette says. 

”If Marr had asked _me_ to do that, I would have told him where to go…” 

”You do realize that not everyone has the freedom you do, right? You’re the Wrath. You’ve worked extremely hard for what you have, and you still do. I’m not denying that, and I’m certainly not saying you have it easy. But someone like Lana, someone in the real world, who can’t do whatever the hell they want…they don’t get to call the shots at work. What do you think would have happened to Lana if she’d told Darth Marr to piss off? Do you think it would have had the same result as you doing it? This is an easy one, Viri.”

"I could have protected her. I could have gutted Marr. End of story."

"And then who runs the Dark Council? You want Darth Ravage up there or something? Come on. You're smarter than this, and I know you know Sith politics far better than I do, so I shouldn't have to remind you. Marr is one of the Dark Council members we want to keep around, despite this particular order. He had enough of an open mind to team up with the Jedi Grand Master to get something done, and he truly cares about the Empire. Can you say that about many of the Dark Lords we’ve met?” 

”Stop being so reasonable, Vette. We both know I wouldn't actually kill him. I just want to, right now.” 

"And Marr was right: the fact that the SIS and the Jedi knew about your relationship was a problem. I don't think Theron would have used it, but you know damn well that someone from the Republic side has put that in a databank somewhere." 

“That is true,” Viri sighs. "We should still be together. The SIS shouldn't run my life, or hers."

"When things settle down, perhaps," Vette says, rubbing her shoulder. "Even Marr said that, I think I told you."

"Maybe," Viri says quietly. "In the meantime, I wish I could help her. I think she's under a lot of stress."

"I know, Viri. I know. It sucks. I'm not going to say that it doesn't. But we need to concentrate on you. You're going to need to get up eventually. This isn't doing you any good."

Viri shudders, but sits up. "I know, Vette."

"Why haven’t you activated this holo-portrait?” Vette eyes the closed case on the bedside table. “Didn’t you like my gift?” 

”Yes, but…” 

”But what? Doesn’t it work?” Vette reaches for it. 

“No, Vette, don’t…” Viri says. “I don’t want to look at her.” 

“Why not?” Vette turns on the portrait. “Look, there she is, in all her Sithy glory. She looks so happy with you. Still think she’s cute?” 

”She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

”See? That hasn’t changed. What did you think was most beautiful?"

"Everything about her, Vette. Her spirit, most of all. Her voice. Her eyes. The way she smiled. When she smiled, her whole face lit up. The softness of her skin. The way her arms felt around me..." 

"All right, let's not give the Twi'lek too much information...but if she's beautiful, why not look at her?"

”She’s not here. That’s why,” Viri chokes out. “Vette, I can’t, it’s too much.” 

”Yes or no question: if you had to do it again, knowing how it would turn out…would you still want to meet her, and let her know you liked her, and all the rest? Was it worth it?” 

”Yes. When you put it that way, I would. She’s worth it.” Viri smiles slightly at Lana’s flickering hologram. 

”Not everyone can stay forever,” Vette says quietly. “And even when they can, they might still have to leave for a while, before the ‘forever’ part. Maybe right now, all you can do is remember what you had, and how special it was, and look forward to it maybe returning one day.” 

Viri begins to cry again. 

”You have to stop this. Blazes, almost nothing makes you cry, but since we left Yavin, you seem to be making up for lost time. They’re going to take away your Wrath title, if you keep this up,” Vette says. “We’ll have to choose a new name for you. Sobbing Sith? Sith So Sorrowful? Darth Tearful? That one has a ring to it, don’t you think?”

”Stop it, Vette. You’re making me laugh.” Viri chuckles, even as more tears escape her eyes. 

”Are your tears specially imbued with the Force? They can make someone melt, right? That’s your new attack strategy, you’ll cry on people!” 

”Vette!” Viri throws a pillow at her. 

“She’s hit me with the Pillow of Death. I’m down.” Vette pretends to keel over, putting one hand to her forehead. “I think you should carry that, instead of your lightsaber. Think of it, you could have just smacked Revan around with a pillow until he gave up.” 

Viri bursts out laughing. 

“That’s the Viri I know and love,” Vette smiles. “The one who laughs even when everything’s gone to hell in a handbasket. I know you’re hurting right now. But you’ll get through this.” 

”I’m glad you’re here, Vette.” 

”Hey. You’re my threatening, scary as hell, impossible Sith sister from another mother. Of course I’m here for you.” 

”Thank you, Vette. You’re family, and I love you.” 

”I love you too. Give me a hug, as long as we’re being all warm and fuzzy over here.” 

* 

**Lana**

_She’s been crying for days._ Even across the stars, Lana feels it. 

_That’s not true._

_You know it is. You haven’t been having the best time either, have you, now? You don’t sleep. You barely eat. You hurt. You’ve cried more in the last week than you have in the last ten years._

Lana opens her eyes and brushes back tears as she rises from her meditation corner. Every time she’s tried to meditate on Viri, all she’s felt is pain. 

_She_ needs _me. I need her._

Lana starts to call Viri’s holo frequency, stops herself, and rings Vette’s backup instead. 

*

“Lana? What’s wrong? This isn’t Viri’s main holo frequency. Do you need that?” 

”I wanted to reach you and not Viri, actually. I don’t know if she’ll want to talk to me right now.” 

”She's...unwell. We're all very concerned for her. ” 

On the other end of the holo, Lana closes her eyes. “I didn’t…Vette, you know I didn’t want this.”

“You look nearly bad as she does. You’re not okay, are you?” Even on the holo, the dark circles under Lana’s eyes are evident. 

”This call isn’t about me.” Lana says, evading the question. “But given the circumstances, of course I don’t look well right now.” 

Vette shakes her head. “This is why the Jedi ban love, isn’t it? Because you Force users can’t do anything simply. Two smart, strong women who love each other, and nothing but drama and unnecessary complications…” 

”Attachments and bonds among Force users do have their complications,” Lana says wryly. “Although I would still say that they’re worth it.” 

“I notice you ignored part of what I said there.” 

”Yes, I did. And I will continue to do so. Not the topic of this call.” 

”I think I told you she was going to be a wreck. I wasn’t lying.” Vette frowns. “I do need to let you know that she knows about Marr's order. Um...well...I may have told her to try to stop her from being so upset. Not that it worked, but it's in the open now.” 

”Damn it, Vette!” 

”She would have figured it out eventually, Lana. Believe me, it’s far healthier for her to hate Marr than to hate herself because she thinks she caused this. Before that, she was going around in circles rehashing everything she’d ever done or said, trying to figure out why you’d left her."

"But why would she...we went over that! I told her that this wasn't about her!"

"Lana, listen to me," Vette says, very seriously. "If I didn't know you well enough, I would think you played some sick Sith trick to destroy her. She's not okay right now, and she seems to feel some bizarre need to carry your pain along with her own."

The magnitude of Vette's words makes Lana bow her head. "I didn't mean to hurt her. I'm feeling this too, and it's not easy, but I had no idea..." 

"Viri does everything in a big way, including grieving," Vette says.

Lana puts her hand to her head. “How can I help her, Vette? I care deeply for her, but you’ve known her far longer than I have. What do you suggest? Should I pay her a visit?” 

”I don’t think she can handle talking to you at the moment, much less seeing you. If she does, we’re going to begin another season of woe over here with Darth Tearful. Be honest, I don’t think you can handle that, either.” 

”No. I don’t think I could.” The idea of seeing Viri again makes Lana’s spirit sing, but the reality – not being able to be with her – makes it cry. “Wait, did you just call her _Darth Tearful?_ ”

”Trust me. Right now it fits.” Vette frowns. “Anyway, I think you should reach out to her. Send her an email every so often. Let her know you still care about her. It might make her feel better. I know her; she won’t contact you first.”

”All right. I’ll do that.” 

”Lana…tread lightly. Please. Don't start anything you can't finish." 

"I-I'll keep that in mind, Vette." 

* 

Lana exhales heavily and stares at her datapad. She’s written an email bringing Viri up to speed with her new job, but it’s not sitting well with her. 

_I will always remember our time together fondly. Fate willing, it won't be the last time._ Lana rubs her forehead as she skims the lines she’s written and tries to imagine reading them from Viri’s perspective. _If_ I _received this email, I’d feel hurt._

She takes a deep breath and starts another paragraph. 

_I am so lonely, Viri. Everyone is gone. I wish you were here._

Delete. 

_I miss you._

Delete. 

_I love you._

Definitely delete.

_It is very cold in Kaas City. I wish I were surrounded by lush green warmth, as I was before._

Send. 

Within five minutes, Lana’s datapad beeps with an incoming message. 

_I am so proud of you and your accomplishments, and know you will continue to do well. I know you’re not fond of titles, but you deserve every accolade you are receiving now._

_It’s so cold here, too. I miss the golden glow of the sun on my skin._

Lana closes her eyes and savors the words, as though they could conjure Viri into the room with her. 


	25. The End of the World

**Viri**

The sand of Tatooine blows hot around Viri’s face, and she pulls her hood more securely against her head. Her bantha leans close to her as she guides him into the shelter on the base. Behind her, Jaesa and Vette follow with their own animals. She’s just helped the Imperial Reclamation Service wrap up another survey of the Rakatan chambers uncovered by Czerka and investigate several new rooms. 

There’s been a feeling of foreboding in the pit of her stomach for days and the pain from the bond is a constant dull ache in the center of her chest, but Tatooine has been downright boring. The only time Viri has needed her lightsaber, it’s been to fend off some zealous womp rats. She’d braced herself for mind traps or ancient monsters in the Rakatan chambers, but even those had been uneventful. 

“We’re headed to the cantina. You coming?” Jaesa asks, brushing sand off her hands as she closes the bantha corral. 

”You go ahead. I’m not feeling it.” It’s been three weeks since Lana left, and Viri feels as though time has slowed down for her. She’s able to leave her cabin now, but she’s still alternately numb and anguished. At the end of her work day, all she wants to do is return to her ship, take a hot shower and go to bed. 

As Viri enters her starship, the holo begins to beep. She accepts the call, and Darth Nox’s image appears in the darkness of the room. 

“Hello, Wrath. The major told me that you’ve wrapped up on the Czerka site. Anything interesting?”

”Hello, Nox. The empty mind trap I mentioned was still there, but it was devoid of all Force energy. All the same, we destroyed it to be on the safe side and prevent anyone else from exploiting it. Otherwise, the site was unbelievably boring. There are plenty of cultural artifacts, but I didn’t find anything we need to worry about. No stasis chambers or additional mind traps.” 

”Glad to hear it,” Nox says. “You’ll be shipping out, then? Are you up for another small mission?”

”Sure.” 

”There’s something I need picked up on Hutta. One of the Black Sun enforcers has been fencing Sith artifacts, and he was traced there. He’s already dead; I just need someone to pick up the artifacts and escort them back to me on Dromund Kaas. All dark side stuff, so I’d prefer to have a strong Sith handling them.” 

”Send the information, Nox, I’ll do it.” Before Yavin, Viri would have sneered at such a mission. Now, however, she knows that it’s vital. The busier she is, the less time she has to think about Lana. Nox has given her one small mission after the next; keeping her occupied but not challenged, and Viri appreciates it. 

”Oh, and Viri? I saw her in the Citadel yesterday. She’s safe.”

”Thank you, Suvia. I appreciate that.” It’s safer not to say Lana’s name. Viri says goodbye, calls her crew back to the ship, and sets the navicomputer to Hutta. 

*

Back on Dromund Kaas, Darth Nox picks up her holo again and calls the Minister of Intelligence. 

”Minister Beniko? I’m sending over the Black Sun data I have from Hutta. You might find it useful.” 

”Thank you, Dark Lord,” Lana says. As usual, she looks exhausted and sad. 

”And I’m sure you’re going to be glad to hear that our mutual contact is safe. She’s going to take care of this for me.” 

”I am glad. Thank you very much for letting me know, “ Lana says. She can’t say Viri’s name, but her face brightens for a split second.

As Darth Nox puts down her holo, Ashara places a hand on her shoulder. 

”I’m glad you’re doing that.” 

”Someone has to,” Nox replies. “In my opinion, what Marr did to them is horrible.” 

”Any chance you can pull Lana from Intelligence and stop this madness?” Ashara asks, leaning on the desk. 

Nox exhales. “If I could, I would. She’d be far better off in Reclamation than she is in Intelligence. It would mean directly defying Marr, though, and right now, the last thing we need is a divided Council. It’s going to take time to figure it out.” 

”And in the meantime…”

”In the meantime, I’ll just keep checking in with both of them,” Nox says. “They’re stronger together. It’s a shame Marr can’t see that.” 

*

On the way to Hutta, Viri’s datapad beeps with an incoming message from an anonymous sender. 

_I miss you, brat._

She responds instantly. 

_I miss you too, dearest._

They’re past allusions; past vague references. The pain is raw and bold and demands to be addressed.

Viri puts down her datapad and picks up her holo-portrait. She’s had it copied several times, so she can have it on her ship, on her person, and in each of her residences. She and Lana hold each other close in the hologram, and Viri lets herself feel the loss. The grief isn’t gone. Viri doesn’t think it ever will be. 

* 

_A Week Later_

**Lana**

_We need you on Ziost,_ the Intelligence alert had said. _We’re in major trouble._ Lana had expected Republic infiltrators, traitors, even an outbreak of disease. But not this. Not Vitiate. Not being holed up in a bunker as her former colleagues, possessed by the murderous Sith Emperor, tried to break in. 

Lana can feel Vitiate pushing at the boundaries of her mind, relentlessly seeking an opening, and she shoves him back again and again. As the possessed troops pound on the bunker door, Lana steels herself even more. She will not die. She will not be possessed. She’s already determined that. What she hasn’t determined is how to resolve this nightmare. 

_The second you need me, I’ll be there._

Lana paces in the bunker as Viri’s words resonate in her head. 

_I can’t bring her into this nightmare. But I need her._

_She might be the only one who can solve this._

_I need her._

Lana sends an emergency message to the Wrath’s ship. 

* 

Lana’s flickering figure appears on the holo-terminal on the Tyuk with no preamble. She’s used the emergency breakthrough, forcing the ship to answer the call instantly. 

”Lana? What’s wrong? Where are you?!” Viri stops short in front of the holo. Lana’s back is to the camera, and she seems to be trying to deal with ten different people at the same time.

“Wrath, it’s time for you to confront the Emperor. He’s here, on Ziost…he’s possessing Sith and Imperial citizens and using them to murder anyone they can find. There;s a platoon of damned Jedi down here now too, and they’ve also been possessed. We’ve lost six battalions. I don’t know how many Sith. Ordinary citz----revoke their access now! I don’t care what they tell you! Assume they’re lying and deal with it!” Lana turns from the holo again to address someone standing behind her.

”Coordinates. Now. I’m on my way,” the Wrath says. “I’m just outside Dromund Kaas, I can be there soon.” 

”Thank you. We’ll hold this bunker as long as we can, but ---“ something knocks the holo out of Lana’s hand, and the image goes dark. 

”Lana!” Viri shouts. 

Jaesa and Vette run into the room, followed by the rest of the crew. “I thought we were past the crying stage,” Jaesa says. “Why are you screaming for Lana? “ 

”She was just on the holo,” Viri says, rushing toward the bridge. “There’s an emergency on Ziost. She’s asked for our help.” As Viri sets the navicomputer to Ziost, her hand hovers over a red button on the console for a split second. When she hits it and deftly enters a series of access codes, Vette gasps. 

”You’re using the isotope-5? We don’t have a lot of that, Viri! It’s not even that long a trip!” 

”It’s for dire emergencies, and I would say that widespread possession qualifies. The isotope-5 will get us there much faster, and even a few extra hours may make a difference on Ziost,” Viri says, as she finishes setting the course. 

“Jae, Vette, I want you in the strongest armor you own. Borrow pieces from me if you need to. Check your gear now, and then get some sleep. I’m doing the same. You’re going to need all your mental faculties once we arrive. 2V, wake us up when we’re a half hour from Ziost and prepare the strongest caf you have.”

”On it,” Jaesa says. “I’ll help Vette gear up so you can sleep longer.” 

Viri continues pacing. “Pierce, I want schematics, maps, landing pad locations, evacuation routes and anything else you can source, and I want it all uploaded to our datapads by the time we reach Ziost. Everyone on the team should have that info. You’ll be staying on the orbital station and you’ll be working with La—Minister Beniko’s people on tacticals from there. Broonmark, Treek, assist Pierce. While I’m on the surface, you two will help Pierce at the orbital station as needed and stay on standby otherwise. Be prepared to provide logistical support.”

”As you wish, my lord,” Pierce says, beaming.

”Why are you smiling?” Viri snaps. “Vitiate is possessing people on Ziost. This isn’t a vacation.” 

”This is the first time since Yavin that you’ve sounded like yourself,” Pierce chuckles. ”That’s why. Please, give us some more orders. It’s nice to hear you again.” 

”Thanks,” Viri says, smiling. “Everyone, to their tasks.” 

* 

Out of all the things she imagined she’d be doing as Minister of Sith Intelligence, Lana can truly say that hiding in an ammunition closet, with the two consoles she and her top agent had managed to salvage, was not among them. She shifts uncomfortably as she types in order after order and tries to direct troops. Someone’s sliced the system, and it’s corrupted the protocols for the evacuation droids. Whoever sent the Jedi to Ziost, they’ve been busy. Lana tries one line of code and then another, attempting to repair the program. 

”Minister Beniko, we have a _Fury_ class ship approaching the orbital station. Callsign—oh stars, it appears to be the Empire’s Wrath, it’s Fury-Aurek-One.” Rane Kovach, Lana’s right-hand man on Ziost, reads his console in disbelief. 

“Grant it full clearance and reserve an airlock and full support,” Lana says. She clicks another window on her console and grants black-level, all-access clearance to the Wrath and every member of her crew. 

“I thought you didn’t get on with the Wrath,” Kovach observes. 

”The Wrath and I are both responsible for protecting the Empire,” Lana says shortly. “Nothing else is relevant here. You are to obey her orders as much as mine.” 

“My apologies, Minister,” Kovach says. “I’d heard that you two had some history, is all.” 

”I’d heard that an agent was overstepping his bounds by engaging in gossip about a superior,” Lana snaps. An alarm is ringing in her head: how does Kovach know anything? She’s personally written the updates to her own Sith Intelligence file, as well as Viri’s, and she’s taken pains to ensure that their personal relationship is not on the record at all. She files that information away to explore more, later, as her comlink beeps again and again. 

”Minister Beniko! We need…” 

”I’m on my way,” Lana says wearily. There’s no point trying to hold the bunker anymore; there’s nothing left to hold. Everyone except herself and Kovach has already been possessed, after all. 

”Minister Beniko, do you want me to---“ 

”Keep out of sight, monitor the comms, and if you see the Wrath and her team before I do, tell them I’ll be back soon,” Lana says grimly, and heads out. 

*

”These are the coordinates Lana gave us,” the Wrath says, looking around the empty bunker. She and Jaesa have already had to fight their way through several hordes of possessed troopers and agents. 

”Huh. That one’s a Jedi,” Jaesa says, gesturing to a body near the staircase. 

”Are you sure?” 

”Yes. Look at the clothes. He’s got a Republic insignia on his belt.” Jaesa gestures toward the man with her polesaber. 

”Lana said there were some Jedi here, but why? Looks like they were taken down along with our own people, but…” 

”We’ll have to figure it out later,” Jaesa says, as another mob approaches them. The two Sith battle through the throng, only to be confronted with yet more possessed soldiers. 

”Lana wasn’t kidding when she said Vitiate was possessing everyone,” Jaesa gasps. 

”You okay?” the Wrath checks in with her. Jaesa nods, narrows her eyes and attacks. 

Out of the corner of her eye, the Wrath spots a flash of orange, and is stunned to see a row of possessed troopers cut down with one blow of a lightsaber. The next second, Lana’s blonde head appears above the fray, and she helps them defeat the remaining troopers. 

As Lana deactivates her saber and walks over to them, the Wrath studies her as unobtrusively as she can. Seeing Lana again is like walking back into the sunlight after a month of darkness, but it’s clear that things are different. There are black circles under her eyes, she’s frowning, and her hair is messier than ever. She looks, in a word, miserable.

“You’ve arrived. Good. There’s much to do.” The words belie Lana’s shock as she stares at the Wrath. Viri’s face is drawn and washed out, and there’s something very weary about her. Only her eyes still seem the same, and they’re currently assessing Lana with a laser-sharp focus. 

“How are you holding up?” the Wrath asks, crossing her arms. 

”I’m holding up,” Lana says. “I…can’t think about anything else right now.”

”Then let’s get to work,” the Wrath says, her voice neutral. They’re both pushing the bond away as much as possible. Even though Viri knows it’s necessary, under the dire circumstances with Vitiate, it still hurts. 

Lana looks at Jaesa. “You only brought one member of your crew?” 

” _Only?!_ Did you forget who I am?!” Jaesa says indignantly. 

”Pierce is on standby at the orbital station, waiting to be patched in to your military contact to help,” the Wrath says, putting a hand on Jaesa’s shoulder. “He’s pulled as many resources as he could. He’s from Ziost, so he knows this terrain. I think he can help the most in that capacity. Vette will be spelling Jaesa every six hours so neither of them gets mentally exhausted from resisting Vitiate. But Jaesa and Vette are the only two who have successfully dealt with something even remotely resembling this. They both made it through direct attacks from the Dread Masters on Belsavis and Oricon. The others have not, and this doesn’t seem like the best time to test their mental defenses. Someone like Broonmark would be horribly lethal if he were possessed, and it’s safer for all if we avoid that possibility.” 

”That makes sense,” Lana says, and taps some buttons on her datapad. “I’m patching Pierce into the military feed. Major Brinn, the Wrath has brought Lt. Pierce from black ops. He can do tacticals with you from the orbital station. Work with him. Beniko out.” 

As Lana speaks, Viri clandestinely looks her over again. Lana is grinding her teeth. 

”You constantly have to keep him out of your head, don’t you?” the Wrath asks. 

”You don’t feel it?” Lana says, surprised. 

”He doesn’t seem to be trying,” the Wrath replies. 

”Well, aren’t you lucky? The little creep’s already attempting to screw with me,” Jaesa says, crossing her arms. “Not happening, loser. Go die again.” 

Lana can’t help but smile, just for a second. 

“Is there any explanation for the Jedi we found in the bunker, or were they just that eager to meet the Emperor that they decided to pay Ziost a visit?” the Wrath asks. 

“Sixth Line Jedi. We don’t know who sent them or what their motivation for being here is,” Lana admits, “Just that Vitiate has already gotten his hooks into every single one of them.” 

”Sixth Line?” The Wrath’s brow wrinkles. 

”There is no contemplation, but duty,” a man says, coming up behind Lana. “They add a sixth line to the Jedi code, hence the name.” 

”Ah, I should introduce you. Wrath, meet Rane Kovach. He’s a bit of a rising star in Intelligence on Ziost,” Lana explains, as her comlink rings again. “I’m needed elsewhere so I will leave you with him for the time being. He’ll brief you on what’s going on. He’s already been instructed that he answers to you.” 

”I’ll check in with you in a few hours,” the Wrath replies, and nods at Lana as she rushes away. 

”Ah, Wrath,” Agent Kovach says. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

”Likewise,” the Wrath says. “What do you have for me? What’s your plan of attack?” 

“We’re trying to cut off the available resources so the possessed have less ways to attack. Shutting down cannons; locking the munitions stores; grounding the walkers.” 

”How are you handling evacuations?” 

”What? I haven’t started…” Kovach stammers. “The mainframe has been sliced, and it’s corrupted the evacuation programs.” 

“We still have landing pads, and shuttles are still going back and forth to the orbital station, are they not? I want every spacecraft heading back to the station filled with as many civilians as you can manage,” the Wrath says. 

“But…”

”But what? If there’s space on a shuttle, we need to fill it.” 

“All right,” Kovach says. “I’ll meet you at the munitions warehouse. There are some cannons that need to be locked down on your way there. There aren’t any civilians in this sector…not anymore. But I can get any Imperial staff that isn’t possessed onto the shuttles.” 

”Do that,” the Wrath says. “I’ll meet you there.” 

* 

The next few hours pass in a nightmarish blur for Viri and Jaesa. One possessed Imperial after the next. Streets wet with blood. Too many dead to register. As the Wrath locks up or destroys one weapons stockpile after the next, she finds herself nearly overwhelmed by the carnage and pain around her. At every stop, she and Jaesa clear a landing zone for shuttles and set up flares. The evacuation droids are still offline, so they’re on their own. 

”Pierce, we’ve cleared a fourth landing zone. Coordinates to follow.” 

“Acknowledged, my lord. You might be interested to know that you’re very close to a Lower Academy.”

”Send the coordinates, Lieutenant, and get me a shuttle. Minimal personnel,” the Wrath says. She and Jaesa sprint to the school, where panicked parents – not yet possessed – are clustered at the front doors. 

”Parents, your children are safer in the building,” the Sith at the entrance says, raising his hands. His face is twitching, and the Wrath guesses that Vitiate is trying to possess him already. 

”New plan,” the Wrath says briskly. “We’re getting everyone out of here. Have the parents find their children. I want groups of twenty, ready to follow me and my colleague.” 

The Sith wrinkles his nose. “Lord Wrath! The young Sith, of course, but the parents, too?” 

”Do you really want to deal with fifty crying orphans on the orbital station? No, I didn’t think so,” the Wrath snaps. “The parents go with their children.” 

Jaesa and the Wrath lead the first group to the nearby shuttle. “Pierce, incoming. If you can get another shuttle down here, I’d appreciate it. Lots of civilians coming up. Kids.” 

”I’ll see what I can do, my lord,” Pierce says. “We…could use some additional help here. The shuttles are being taxed and the station is getting crowded.” 

“I’ll see what I can do,” the Wrath says. “In the meantime, handle it as best you can.” 

”I have to go back, my business records are…” A man at the front of the line is arguing with the shuttle pilot, holding up the rest of the queue. 

”Get in the fucking shuttle!” the Wrath shouts, putting on one of her more frightening expressions. “I’m not going to warn you again. Unless there’s a pet, a child or a person who is unable to run to the shuttle themselves, I don’t care what the story is.” 

A child in a Lower Academy robe starts screaming as the sole attending officer tries to confiscate her pet, a small taunling, and the Wrath once again is forced to intervene. 

“We don’t have time for this. Let her take the pet.” 

”But…”

”Don’t cross me, Major. Last warning. As for you, child, that animal stays under your control at all times, is that clear? Keep it in your arms and clean up any messes it makes. If it causes trouble on the shuttle they probably _will_ kill it, and I won’t be there to stop it.” 

”Yes, Miss Wrath. Thank you.” The little girl walks onto the shuttle with her parents and the taunling. 

”Anyone else with an animal they can carry, let them board the shuttles,” the Wrath tells the major. “We don’t have time for arguments, and Vitiate can possess animals as well as people. Killing the animals just feeds him. Best to take as many offworld as we can. ”

The Wrath and Jaesa manage to cram all of the Sith Lower Academy staff, students and parents into two shuttles. When they’re safely airborne, the Wrath exhales and checks her datapads. Lana has sent two messages, updating the Wrath on her progress, and she responds. There’s also a message from Darth Marr. 

_Under the circumstances, I will not be sending troops. I trust you will work with Minister Beniko to resolve this crisis._

”Damned fucking asshole!” the Wrath throws her datapad on the ground and walks in a circle before coming back to it. “Marr wrote to me to tell me he’s _not_ sending help, Jaesa. Miserable son of a Jedi…” 

”Isn’t someone attacking Korriban and Balmorra right now? He might be tapped out there,” Jaesa says. 

”All the same…we need help here, Jae.” The Wrath picks up her datapad and calls Darth Nox’s frequency. 

”Wrath! I was trying to get in touch with you. I’ve been apprised of the situation on Ziost by Darth Marr. I’ve been told that it’s bad. Marr will not commit troops, but I will, if you need them.” 

The Wrath smiles. “I knew I could count on you, Darth Nox. Don’t send anyone down to the surface. But if we can get spacecraft away from Ziost, can your fleet escort them to Dromund Kaas? We’re trying to get as many as we can off the planet. I’m packing as many civilians as I can on the transports back to the Ziost orbital station. My crew’s there with the Tyuk, and they can shuttle those evacuees over to you.”

”Yes, I’d be happy to do that,” Nox says. “Let’s make this easier. I’ll dock one of my cruisers at the orbital station and send some shuttles so you can get more people out of there. Once they get to the orbital station, send them to the cruiser. If that ship fills up, I’ll send another. There are some Republic ships massing near Ziost, but I’m not concerned. I will put the humanitarian flag up on the ships so hopefully the Republic will have the decency to leave them alone, but if not, all of my cruisers have Silencers.” 

”Thank you, Darth Nox,” the Wrath says, relief flooding through her. “I’m patching in Minister Beniko and Lt. Pierce so we can coordinate. Lana? Pierce? I have Darth Nox on this call. She’s sending down some shuttles to help us evacuate and will have a cruiser at the orbital station to accommodate everyone. Please clear her ships and give her an airlock.” 

“I don’t have clearance to evacuate yet, Wrath,” Lana says, distressed. 

” _I’m_ giving you clearance as the Wrath, and if Marr has an issue with saving Imperial citizens, he can stuff it. I will pull rank on this. We need to get them out of here, _now._ The less people on the planet, the less fuel he has.” 

”I agree,” Lana says. “All right. I’ve got her an airlock.” 

”Good. Minister Beniko, between myself and the Wrath, I wouldn’t worry about clearance. Marr and the others from the Council aren’t even here; they don’t get a say in what I do with my own fleet. Wrath, some of my troops can be in the orbital station to help get the evacuees onto the cruiser.”

“Thank you, Nox. Vette needs to rest up so she can spell Jaesa in a few hours, but Broonmark and Treek are still on standby. I’m deploying both of them to assist your staff in getting people through the orbital station.” 

”Excellent. We’ll get them out. My fleet is at Vaiken; I’ll be there shortly.” 

“Thank you, Wrath; Dark Lord,” Lana says, gratefully. “I’m concerned about those Republic ships in the area. We need to see what we can ascertain about those. Wrath, where is Kovach?” 

”I am supposed to meet him at the walker hangar,” the Wrath says. “I’ll be in touch.” 

* 

A half hour later, after clearing another landing zone and locking down more munitions lockers, the Wrath and Jaesa arrive at the walker hangar. 

“Wrath! You’ve made it.” Something in Kovach’s voice makes the Wrath raise an eyebrow. 

“Did you think I wouldn’t?”

“No, no, of course not,” Kovach says, tapping away at the computer. “The evac programs are still offline. But we’ve now locked away most of the weaponry, so the possessed should have less to work with.” 

“Unless they’re Sith or Jedi, and have their lightsabers and the Force,” Jaesa mutters. “Or they’re troopers and are strong enough to kill with their bare hands. Or…” 

”Kovach!” Someone else bursts into the hangar, and stops short when he sees the Wrath and Jaesa. 

” _Theron?!_ ” The Wrath blinks in disbelief. Theron Shan is standing in front of her, looking worse for wear. The implants on the side of his head are dark, but his eyes are as bright as ever. 

”You – ah – know each other?” Kovach stammers. Jaesa is staring at him with narrowed eyes, and her withering gaze is making him feel as though he needs to flee immediately. 

”We do,” the Wrath says shortly. “Theron? Care to explain why you are on Imperial territory, especially right now?” 

Theron’s face is flushed. “I was trying to land, but some of the possessed shot me down. They surrounded my shuttle. I managed to blow it up, and fry most of them, but it shorted out my implants.” 

”Why are you here?” The Wrath repeats, drawing her lightsaber. “It couldn’t be that you’re taking advantage of this chaos to try to harm the Empire, is it?” 

”Viri…” 

”It’s the Wrath to you right now, Agent Shan.” She turns to Kovach. “Get out of here. We need to clear New Adasta next. Head there.” 

”I did discover something interesting, Wrath…two of the troopers hit an exposed power line. It…seemed to shake Vitiate’s hold.” 

”See what you can do with that,” the Wrath says. “I’ll meet you in New Adasta.” 

“As you wish, Lord Wrath,” Kovach says, and leaves the hangar. Jaesa glares at him as he walks away. 

”Just the three of us, now, Agent Shan,” the Wrath says. “Are you going to tell me why you’re here? Why the evac protocols have been conveniently sliced, so we can’t get our people out of here? Why I’ve been fighting possessed Jedi all morning? I think you may know the answers to these queries.” 

”I’m not, I’m…Viri, I know we’re not on the same side anymore, but I brought the Sixth Line here to defeat the Emperor. Not to stop you from evacuating civilians, or anything else.” 

”So I am sure you haven’t taken advantage of the chaos to slice a single computer here,” the Wrath says, raising her eyebrow at Theron. “It couldn’t be that you saw this as a good opportunity to skim as much information from the Empire as you could.” 

Theron looks away. 

”That’s what I thought. You—“ the Wrath’s words trail off as Theron’s holo begins to ring. The Wrath and Jaesa step out of the holo’s range and gesture for him to answer it. 

” _Agent Shan._ ” Of all the people Theron could have wished to see on his holo at that particular moment, the Republic’s Supreme Chancellor, Leotyne Saresh, was probably at the bottom of his list. 

"Chancellor."

"An off-the-books mission to Ziost? A secret team of Jedi? I don't even know where to begin about that. The Grand Master is appalled." 

"I--I didn't realize how bad it was down here--" 

" _I_ realize that you failed to inform me about a prime opportunity to cripple the Empire and face Vitiate head-on. We're taking advantage of the chaos, starting with New Adasta. I expect your cooperation."

"Chancellor, no..." 

"It's not up to you. The fleet will be there shortly. Saresh out." Saresh ends the call. 

Theron hears two lightsabers ignite, and when the Wrath emerges from the shadows, the look on her face is savage. 

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t gut you, Theron,” the Wrath whispers. “One reason. Please. I don’t want to. I like you. But this…were you planning to go after Lana, too, while you were here?" 

”He’s conflicted,” Jaesa interjects, glaring at Theron. “He’s filled with remorse. He doesn’t want to be your enemy and he’s disenchanted with Saresh. But he also hates the Empire. He…has a colleague here.” 

”Stop doing that,” Theron snaps. 

”No,” Jaesa says, and begins toying with her polesaber. 

The Wrath extinguishes her lightsaber and takes one deep breath, and then another. “Give me a reason to pause here, Theron. I’m begging you.” 

”Viri…if our previous alliance meant anything to you, listen to me. I _was_ trying to undermine the Empire. It’s my job. You know that. But I didn’t know what it was like down here. If I had, I wouldn’t have come. I don’t want to kill you or Lana. That wasn’t my goal. I’ve actually been trying to avoid you two in my work as much as I can. And Nox, as well. I don’t want to impede your evacuation efforts. If you let me, I’ll help you and Lana. I…can’t stop Saresh or take back the Sixth Line. I can just try to stem the bleeding now.” 

The Wrath looks at Jaesa. Jaesa nods. “He’s being truthful.” 

”You were a valued ally, Theron. I’m willing to let you be one again. If you truly want to help, we could use your assistance in getting people off-world. I’m sure you’ve sliced our mainframe, make it useful. Whatever you did, it brought down both the Orbital Defense Command Center and took the evacuation protocols offline. We have nothing to help us here. No droids. Nothing. We need to get people out. If there’s anything you can do to undo your damage and facilitate that, I would appreciate it.” 

”I didn't bring down the Orbital--- never mind, I can help here,” Theron says, and plunges a data spike into the nearest computer. 

”I am sure you understand that I do have to let Lana know you’re here.” 

“Yes. I do.” 

The Wrath nods and hails Lana on her comlink. “I’ve got good news and bad news.” 

”Whatever it is, be quick,” Lana says. 

”The Republic ships we picked up are about to attack the planet. New Adasta is the first target. SIS spies brought down the Command Center, so that is offline now too.” 

”Good news?” 

”I have Theron Shan here with me. He’s helping bring the evac protocols back online so we can get people out.” 

“I’ll also try to scramble your shuttles so Saresh’s ships won’t go for them.” Theron says, typing quickly. 

”I see. Where is Kovach?” 

”New Adasta. He discovered that shocking the possessed seems to break Vitiate’s hold on them. There may be a way we can exploit this. I’m going to see.” 

”See, Viri? I told you that you should have learned Force lightning!” There’s a touch of lightness in Lana’s voice that takes Viri off guard. For a moment, it is as though things are right again. 

”I suppose this is a bad time to ask you for a lesson,” Viri says, smiling. 

”We’ll have to do that before Vitiate invades the next planet,” Lana replies. “Check in with me once you’re in New Adasta. Stay safe.” 

”You too.” 

Jaesa clears her throat and nods toward Theron.

”Right. Back to work. Talk soon, Lana.” 

Viri closes the connection, steels herself and heads back out into the ruined streets.


	26. To Ashes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **CONTENT WARNING:** If you have played SWTOR, this chapter includes the end of the Ziost arc. If not, this chapter contains two minor character deaths (Kovach and a Jedi, Master Surro). It also contains discussion of widespread death and disaster, although there is nothing graphic described or depicted. 
> 
> The next chapter is more cheerful. Promise. I am uploading 27 today too so you will have something nicer to read after this.
> 
> Thank you to Barbarious Barbarian for writing "Exchanging Favors" in response to this story, dealing with the logistics of rerouting ships to Ziost. https://archiveofourown.org/works/13773084

****

**Viri**

Lanterns are still strung across buildings in the heart of New Adasta, high above the streets. As the Wrath and Jaesa run toward Power Station 6 to rendezvous with Rane Kovach, the beauty of the lanterns catches their attention. It’s a counterpoint to the carnage in the streets below. 

”Block 24, corrupted. No survivors. Block 25, corrupted, no survivors. Block 26, two survivors, escorted to the evac shuttle.” The Wrath uses the map coordinates, and not the street names, as she numbly recites the latest report to Pierce in the orbital station. “Block 27, empty. Cantina on the ground floor; several casualties, no survivors. Block 28, shops; one survivor, died en route to the shuttle. Block 29, department store. Twenty survivors among staff and customers; all escorted to the evac shuttle.” 

”I copy, my lord,” Pierce says soberly. 

“We’re en route to Power Station 6 to see Kovach. He has been shutting down the power to various parts of the city to try to impede the possessed.” 

“Kovach is not on our side,” Jaesa says, definitively. 

”You read something in him, didn’t you?” the Wrath says. “I did notice that he and Theron seemed to recognize each other.”

”They did. He’s here to cause harm.”

”Let’s see if we can find him before he finds us,” the Wrath says, as they walk through the gates of the power station. The place appears to be abandoned, save for the bodies of the municipal employees. 

”Jae, look at them,” the Wrath whispers. “They appear to have been…bitten.” 

”You don’t think Vitiate is turning them cannibal, do you?!” Jaesa says. “I’m not squeamish, but that’s too much for even me.” 

”The teeth marks look too large for a huma---“ the Wrath’s words are cut off by the roar of a giant beast. It descends on her and Jaesa, clearly hungry for blood, and it takes some effort for the two Sith to dispatch it. 

The Wrath and Jaesa face three more gargantuan creatures as they make their way through the small building. As they reach the energy generator at the back of the building, they hear voices. 

”The beasts didn’t eat someone. Interesting,” the Wrath muses. “How much do you want to bet that it’s Kovach?” 

”I’ll take that bet,” Jaesa growls. She and the Wrath quietly draw their weapons and stalk toward the sound of Kovach’s voice. 

”….Supreme Chancellor, you don’t realize how bad it is down here…troops will just be possessed, along with everyone else.”

”Stick to Intelligence, not military planning. Speaking of which, you mentioned the Empire’s Wrath? If she’s there, you have a prime opportunity to take her out, along with Minister Beniko. I want you to ensure that they do not leave Ziost. The chaos is the perfect backdrop; it will ensure the Republic is not implicated.” 

”Chancellor, I doubt the Wrath will make it past the monsters here.” 

”If she does, I expect you to find another way to kill her. You know your task. Saresh out.” 

Jaesa and the Wrath round the corner as Saresh’s holo image flickers away. 

”So, Agent Kovach! How nice to see you again!” The Wrath smiles, showing her teeth in a threatening leer. “I see you’re planning to assassinate us. How lovely.”

”There’s no point in trying to explain anything to you, is there?” Kovach says, cringing. 

”Nope,” the Wrath says cheerfully. “I just heard you say that you sent us here to be devoured by monsters, and you’re on speaking terms with Chancellor Saresh. You’re clearly a Republic spy. What would you like to explain, exactly?” 

”We’re killing the fucker now, right?” Jaesa brandishes her polesaber.

”Oh, not quite yet,” the Wrath says. “I think he needs to confess to Lana. Theron said he didn’t pull down the Command Center. It was you, wasn’t it?” 

Kovach looks down. “I’m not as adept a slicer as Theron, I’m afraid. My goal was to disable Imperial military. Not to take your evacuation programs offline.” 

“And yet, you did.”

”I…respect Minister Beniko. And you. But I have to fight on the side of common human decency,” Kovach says. “The Empire does terrible things every day.”

”And the Republic is so moral that they’re bombing civilians on the other side of Ziost and stopping innocent people from fleeing from Vitate.” The Wrath crosses her arms. 

“Point taken,” Kovach says.

”He actually had a plan to help here, oddly enough,” Jaesa says, tilting her head. 

”I’ve not been able to make it work. I was going to tell Minister Beniko that I’d failed.” 

”I think you’ll be telling her more than that.” The Wrath pulls out her holo and calls Lana. 

“Wrath, what is it? Oh, I see you’ve located Agent Kovach.” 

”Yes,” Kovach says, stepping up to the holo. “The plan I proposed will not work. I’ve failed you.” 

”Don’t you have anything else to say?” the Wrath says. 

”I…”

“Talk. Or I will.” the Wrath’s eyes are glacial. 

”Um…Minister Beniko, I put myself at your mercy…” 

”Spit it out, Agent. We haven’t all day,” Lana says, annoyed. 

“I am…not an Imperial. I answer to Supreme Chancellor Saresh of the Republic. I’m sorry.” 

”Sorry?” Lana splutters. “You’re _sorry?!_ I want him executed. Now.” 

”Oh, allow _me,_ ” Jaesa says, and strikes him down with one fluid blow. 

”How did you find out?” Lana asks, as Jaesa extinguishes her polesaber.

”That’s Jaesa’s doing,” the Wrath says. 

”I sensed that his true nature was not what he claimed it was,” Jaesa explains. “He clearly recognized Theron Shan. We caught him talking to Saresh.” 

_And he knew about my relationship with Viri. It’s not in Imperial files…it’s in the SIS ones. That’s how he knew, isn’t it?_ Lana seethes. 

“He appears to be the one who took down the Orbital Command Center,” the Wrath adds. “And Saresh had just tasked him with assassinating both of us.” 

“Thank you. Both of you. I—I don’t know how I didn’t sense his deception.” 

”He was a spy. His job was to deceive you,” Jaesa points out. 

”What now?” the Wrath asks. “I was thinking we could continue hitting the power stations until we’re close to the People’s Tower.” 

”Do that,” Lana says. “Check in with me at Power Station 1.” 

* 

****

**Lana**

Lana paces in the abandoned bunker. She’s the only one left; the troops have either been possessed or evacuated to the orbital station. It’s a relief; she needs a moment to seethe.

 _A spy. He was a spy and I trusted him._

Lana’s rage grows as she remembers how much responsibility she’d given to Kovach. How much she’d trusted him. Relied on him. Talked up his talents to others, even the Wrath. A rising star, she’d called him. Lana punches the wall. 

Vitiate’s presence curls around the edges of her mind again, and Lana uses her fury to push him back, as hard as she can. To her surprise, she feels him back off, and then fade away. _Has he given up on me? I won’t fall for that, I’m keeping my guard up._

Lana looks at the chrono on her datapad. By her estimate, the Wrath should have made her way to the first power station. Lana reaches for her comlink, and hesitates. If the Wrath and Jaesa are occupied with the legions of possessed victims, they don’t need to be distracted. 

_Maybe…I’ll just look in on her._ Lana presses the button for the security feed in the control room of Power Station 1. 

*

**Viri**

It’s a long haul to the last power station. Despite the cut power and the confiscated weapons, the possessed have found plenty of ways to wreak havoc across New Adasta. They’ve commandeered taxis, speeders; even an errant Imperial walker. The city’s walkways have been destroyed in many places; the Wrath and Jaesa are forced to climb down the side of a building to reach their last destination. 

”Scan for life forms, Jaesa,” the Wrath says warily, as they enter Power Station 1. “Picking up anything?”

”A number of humans nearby, but nothing in here here…wait, I am getting something,” Jaesa says, checking her datapad. “Not human, but…shit. Another one of those things!” 

”Whatever these things are, they’re vicious,” the Wrath says, drawing her lightsaber as another bloodthirsty creature appears, seemingly out of nowhere. She and Jaesa are still able to defeat the monster, but it puts up more of a fight than its predecessors. 

“This one seems stronger than the others,” the Wrath says, catching her breath. “What the hell are those things?!”

”We’ve been calling them monoliths. They’re made from Sith alchemy, and are a sign of Vitiate’s growing power. Almost impossible to kill. That’s one of the smaller ones we’ve seen.” Lana’s voice on the console holo-projector makes the Wrath jump. 

The Wrath stares at the holo. “How are you---“ 

”I wasn’t eavesdropping,” Lana says quickly, although they both know she was. 

”I think you were listening in,” the Wrath says, smiling devilishly. “I think you can’t stop thinking about me.” 

”I’d like to think you were joking, but this is hardly the time,” Lana says, with a flash of anger. “Excuse me for trying to warn you.” 

”I didn’t say I minded,” the Wrath snaps back. “Thank you for the warning. Should I expect to find more of these, then?”

”You should,” Lana says. “Do look behind you.”

Another beast roars out of the shadows, and the Wrath and Jaesa go back to work.

* 

After dispatching several more monoliths, the Wrath and Jaesa declare Power Station 1 clear. They return to the control room to confer with Lana. 

”We’ve shut down all the generators,” the Wrath confirms. “We’ve also swept the buildings. There are lots of casualties here, but we got at least two hundred to the shuttles. But Vitiate’s puppets are still roaming, and thanks to Saresh, there are now Republic troopers in the mix.” 

”I have an idea to neutralize the possessed ringleaders,” Lana says. “It carries…some degree of risk for you.” 

”Just tell me.” 

”Vitiate seems to be concentrating his actions on New Adasta. War has broken out across the globe – damned Saresh and her fleet – but he doesn’t seem concerned with that. He’s staying close to you.” 

”Of course he is,” the Wrath sighs. 

”We need to bait him. Get him angry enough to want to kill you. Get every single one of the possessed to follow you. And then strike.” 

”How am I supposed to bait him?”

”You’re good at speaking, and you know how to push people’s buttons. I’ve seen you do it. So antagonize him enough to make him livid. There’s a Holonet station in the People’s Tower you could use to send a message to Vitiate, and we could use the roof for our trap. There’s an electro-magnetic cannon. It was intended to put down attacks or civil uprisings, but we could use it to shock Vitiate’s pawns.” Lana pauses. “I know what I’m asking of you, and what the risks are. If you say no…it’s your choice.” 

“If there’s any opportunity to stop him, we need to take it,” the Wrath says. “The stakes are too high to be cautious.” 

Lana exhales. “All right. I’m sending you coordinates.” 

”I need to spell Jae before I head over, but I’ll aim to be there within a half hour.” 

”Good. I’ll be in touch, Wrath.” Lana’s image disappears from the holo. 

Viri calls the orbital station. “Pierce, send me coordinates of the nearest evac shuttle. And send Vette down to me.”

”Copy, my lord. A shuttle’s leaving from block 23 in five minutes, and another will be coming down to replace it. I’ll make sure Vette’s on it.” 

Jaesa doesn’t argue with the Wrath. They both know she’s exhausted. 

”Is Vitiate still trying to get to you, Jae?” the Wrath asks. 

”He’s persistent,” Jaesa says. Her eyes are bloodshot. “He keeps trying, off and on. Truth be told, I’m going to appreciate a nap.” 

As they walk to the evac shuttle, they check the nearby buildings and gather anyone and everyone who is not yet possessed. There aren’t many left.

“Lord Wrath, what’s happening? Why do we need to –“ An elderly couple is flustered as the Wrath takes them by the arms and escorts them to the landing pad.

”You’re in grave danger. We need to get you out of here until the danger is passed. If and when Ziost is safe again, you’ll be allowed to return.” 

”My grandson is at the Lower Academy! My daughter and son-in-law…” 

”We probably got them out a few hours ago,” Jaesa tells them wearily. “All the kids and their parents from the Lower Academy were rescued. You’re going to the orbital station, and then on to Dromund Kaas. Okay? You’ll be all right.” 

* 

****

**Lana**

”Get to the orbital station, lieutenant,” Lana says, pacing through the ruins of yet another military barrack. 

”But…” 

”There’s nothing you can do here now. I want you to gather everyone who is left and shuttle out of here. If you stay, you will die,” Lana snaps. The trooper salutes her and scampers off to gather the remnants of his battalion. 

Lana summons her own shuttle and turns on the cloaking screen. The People’s Tower looms on a hill, presiding over New Adasta. The front of the building features a large Imperial banner, blood-red and illuminated by floodlights. 

_Viri could die there._ Lana shakes the thought from her mind as she lands on the roof, but it returns almost immediately. 

_I am sending her to her death._

_Stop that! I’d never hurt her. I wouldn’t have suggested it if I thought she couldn’t win._

_I need to see her._

Lana heads to the Holonet station to wait for Viri, clearing out the possessed workers in her path. 

* 

****

**Viri**

Vette and the Wrath study the console at the Holonet station myopically. 

”We did this before, on Nar Shaddaa, remember?” the Wrath murmurs. “If only there were someone we could ask.” 

”I don’t think we’re going to get any help here,” Vette says quietly, looking at the bodies scattered across the room. The hapless Holonet employees have been killed at their desks and editing bays by their possessed colleagues. 

“Think, Vette. What did we press? How did we open the channels? Can we check the Holonet?” 

”Give me a minute…wait. I remember. There’s a camera there, and this button here should open the channel…” Vette presses a few buttons. “Ooops. No. Not that one. _That_ one. There you go. Tell off this bastard for all of us.” 

The Wrath straightens her hair and steps in front of the camera. “Emperor Vitiate. Tsk, tsk tsk. Or should I say, coward. Have you ever done your own job, old man? You had the Hands and Voice to pass on your messages. You employed a Wrath to enforce for you, since you apparently couldn’t manage it yourself. And now you possess innocent citizens. Animals. Children. Jedi. A Jedi, Vitiate. Really? You’ve descended to having the _Jedi_ do your bidding? You sorry, sorry man. You won’t even show your real face. What’s wrong? Don’t want us to see that you look like a K’lor slug? No wonder you’re wearing a hood in all those statues.” 

Vette can’t suppress a giggle. 

”If you want to keep up your puppet show, I suppose I can’t stop you. If, however, you actually want a challenge beyond taking over Republic troopers, meet me at the People’s Tower. You and me, you piece of shit. I’ll be here.” The Wrath triumphantly turns off the channel. 

”I would say that did it,” Lana says, emerging from the shadows. “I swear I wasn’t spying on you. Not for long, anyway. But I wanted to make sure we talked before we set our trap.” 

“How are you holding up?” the Wrath asks. 

”Vitiate seems to have given up on trying to take over my mind,” Lana says, wrinkling her brow. “Perhaps he’s not as strong as we believe.” 

”Or perhaps _you_ are stronger than you believe,” the Wrath counters. 

”You flatter me.” 

”I tell the truth. But I know time is short. What do you have for me? How are we going to work this?” 

Lana taps a few buttons on the nearest console. “I’ve been in contact with Theron. He may be able to help. Theron, are you in position?” 

”Yes,” Theron’s voice echoes through the room. “But this setup is nothing like what you described.” 

”In other words, you can’t figure it out,” Lana snaps. 

”I’ll figure it out, damn it. Wrath, here’s the deal. Lana’s got a personal shield; I’ll set up another on the roof for you, me and your second. We get Vitiate’s chief players up there; we zap them, we hopefully stop some of the bloodshed. Some of the Sixth Line have been his most…productive…victims. There are a few Sith, as well.” 

“I’ll head to the roof now,” the Wrath says. 

“I’ll join you—“ Lana stops as her comlink buzzes, and her face falls. “I need to answer this. I need to be…everywhere. I shouldn’t even have come, truth be told…” 

Viri stares at her, and for a split second, they both lean into their bond. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to see someone you’ve missed. Especially in times like these.” 

“When all this is over…maybe then.” Lana hangs her head and winces as her comlink starts beeping again. “I’ll be back soon. I hope. Most of the troops are…gone, one way or another. I’ll be handling this remotely, so I’ll still be in the building. Hopefully, I’ll see you soon.” 

”You’ve got this, Lana. I’ll do my job; you do yours. We’ll handle it.” Viri locks eyes with her and takes a risk: she sends as much support and strength through the bond as she can. 

”Thank you,” Lana says gratefully. “Viri…please stay safe.” 

”I will,” Viri tells her. She feels Lana’s affection touch her through the bond, just for a moment, before the curtain drops again. 

* 

****

**Viri and Lana**

The view from the roof of the People’s Tower is magnificent. Or, rather, it would have been, at one time. As the Wrath looks out over the city of New Adasta, all she sees and feels is death. There are intermittent screams, carried on the wind. The air is thick with smoke; entire blocks of apartment buildings have been reduced to rubble by the possessed troopers. The only glimmers of hope: numerous shuttles rising into the air and speeding to the orbital station. 

”Hey.” Theron Shan is standing a few meters away from her. “You ready?” 

”As ready as I’ll ever be,” the Wrath says quietly. 

”I spotted the puppet brigade downstairs,” Theron says. “I was able to outrun them. As soon as they hit the roof, we’ll blast them. I’ve tried to calibrate the cannon to a non-lethal setting, but…”

”…but we won’t know until we try it,” the Wrath finishes the sentence for him. “It’s what we’ve got right now, Theron. We’ll work with it.” 

”I spotted Master Surro,” Theron says. “She seems to be the ringleader. The strongest of the Sixth Line Jedi, and…” 

“…and there she is.” Master Surro, and several other possessed Jedi and Sith, alight from the elevator with a resounding clatter and charge toward the roof. 

”Get under the shield!” Theron shouts. “Now!” He pushes a button on his datapad, and the electro-cannon discharges, hitting Vitiate’s victims point-blank. The electricity crackles around them for several seconds. When the smoke clears, they are sprawled on the ground, unconscious, but breathing. And Master Surro is standing in the middle of them, laughing. 

”You really thought this could stop me?” Vitate’s voice, emitted from the Jedi, seems even more sinister, more obscene. “I rather like this body. Strong. Quick. Skilled in the Force. She’s been a very effective executioner for me today.” Before the Wrath can even react, she has dispatched all the fallen Jedi and Sith around her. 

”It ends here, Vitate,” the Wrath says, breaking through the shield. “You _will_ let her go.” 

”Ah, my Wrath, bold but foolish. I don’t answer to you. And ---“ Vitiate’s words are interrupted as a flash of orange lightsaber appears over Surro’s back, and Lana attacks from the shadows. 

“Go away, little Sith,” Vitate says, and flicks her away instantly. Lana hits the wall and crumples to the ground, and Viri and Vette immediately run to her. Theron takes the opportunity to charge at the Emperor, and he too is rendered unconscious. 

”This isn’t about your friends,” Vitate says. “It is about you and me. You do not wish to be my Wrath anymore? You will be nothing. I will destroy you.” 

”Vette, protect Lana,” Viri says, her voice low. Vette nods and pulls the unconscious Sith to the side of the room. The Wrath turns back to Vitiate. “As you wish, Vitate. Let’s get this over with.” 

The Wrath draws her lightsaber; Vitate draws Master Surro’s. Even with the power of the Emperor’s possession, however, the Wrath is stronger, and in a few minutes, Surro is sprawled on the ground, mortally wounded but free of Vitiate. 

Theron groans as he comes to. On the other side of the roof, Vette helps Lana sit up. In the middle of the roof, the Wrath is crouched down, with her head in her hands. 

”Viri?” Vette says gently. “You still with us?”

”Yes,” the Wrath says, and stands up. She turns to Lana. “What now?” 

”Now, I can take Master Surro back to Tython,” Theron says. “They’ll help her recover from this ordeal.” 

”No you won’t,” Lana retorts. “Vitiate had a special connection with this Jedi. We need to study her to ascertain how, and why, so we can protect people from Vitiate in the future.” 

”And I bet those ‘studies’ will be invasive,” Theron snaps. “Hasn’t she been through enough?” 

”We cannot risk the fate of the galaxy to assuage your guilt, Theron! We need to know—“ 

”We need – “ 

”No, _we_ need—“ 

“Shut up!” the Wrath shouts. “Both of you. Shut. Up. Maybe we should ask her.” 

“Lord Wrath…” Lana stammers. 

”No. Both of you need to stop. I’m talking to her.” Viri kneels next to the Jedi. “Master Surro, can you hear me?” 

”Yes. But I hear him. I’ll always hear him…” Surro’s voice is weak. 

”What do _you_ want?” Viri leans close to her ear to hear her response. “Are you sure?”

“What the hell is going on –“ Theron mutters. The Wrath has sat down beside Surro and taken her hand. 

Viri turns to them. “This is a human being. She’s had her mind and body taken over by a monster. Vitiate ravaged her and the fight didn’t help. She doesn’t have long to live. Leave her alone.”

Master Surro grabs at Viri’s arm, and Viri leans in to hear what she has to say. 

”Vette, do you have our med kit? Throw the strong painkillers over here.” Vette does, and Viri helps Surro inject herself. “Better?”

Surro nods, looks at Lana, and says something else. 

”Lana, she actually wants to help stop Vitiate. But I think she’s been through enough. She’s got maybe minutes left. There are a thousand corpses in this building alone, if you really want to look at brains.” 

“All right,” Lana says quietly.

Master Surro grabs for Viri’s hand again, and Viri gives it to her. Surro nods again, and both Viri and Lana feel the life leave her body. 

”She could have been saved!” Theron shouts. “I could have…” 

”You could have done nothing,” the Wrath tells him. “She was dying. And after what she’d been through, she had the right to do that in peace.”

“You’ve cost a lot of Imperial lives. And you’ve cost your Jedi, too, because they wouldn’t have been here otherwise,” Lana says. “It’s your fault she was even here.” 

“You know what, I’m out of here. I’m gone. I can’t look at either of you. This is your mess now.” Theron starts to storm away. 

”Where do you think you’re going?” the Wrath reaches out and grabs Theron’s arm with the Force. “You invade _our world,_ slice computers with your colleague in a way that stops us from evacuating and saving innocent people, sacrifice an entire group of Jedi so they die horribly, and have the gall – the absolute _gall-_ to pull some sort of moral judgment on us? Who the fuck do you think you are, Theron Shan?”

”I helped you here!” 

”Damn right you did. You caused the trouble with the computers; you cleaned it up. How many people died in the meantime, do you think?” the Wrath hisses. 

”Why don’t you just kill me, then?” Theron says. “Isn’t this where this is all leading?” 

The Wrath points her lightsaber at Theron, but doesn’t move. She lets Lana feel her anguish and indecision through their bond, and isn’t surprised when it’s echoed back to her. “If you were not Theron Shan, you’d have been dead hours ago. But you were our ally once. You were a friend. If we weren’t on opposite sides, I daresay we still might be friends now. _I don’t want to kill you._ ” 

“I don’t want to kill _you,_ or Lana,” Theron tells her. 

“Viri, if you can’t punish him…let the Jedi.” Vette’s voice is almost inaudible. “I’ve never seen you hesitate this way. Ask someone else.” 

The Wrath gestures toward Vette. “Get me Master Timmns on the holo.” 

Master Timmns appears a second later. “Viridana? I sense this is not a social call.” 

“I wish it was,” Viri smiles slightly. “I have a quandary with a Republic agent. I cannot solve it myself, and I’d appreciate your assistance. I’m sure you remember Agent Shan.” 

”I do,” Master Timmns says. “Has he caused harm?”

”He caused this entire planet harm,” the Wrath says. “We have a disaster on Ziost. Agent Shan brought in a group of Jedi, all of whom died in very unpleasant ways. Every single one of them. Theron and his double agent sliced our Commander Center and the computers, which took the evac protocols offline. Theron eventually repaired them for us, but in the meantime…our people died. I can’t hurt him. But I can’t let him go, either. I’m open to suggestions.” 

”I see,” Master Timmns says. “I think we need the Grand Master in on this call. Let me talk to her and then patch you in.” Timmns disappears, only to reappear a few minutes later with Grand Master Satele Shan. 

”Wrath, Minister, I’ve briefed the Grand Master. She’s already aware of Agent Shan’s transgression with the Sixth Line. The rest is reprehensible. Grand Master, you know as well as I do that in the Republic, an Imperial spy who did the same would either be executed or frozen in the Belsavis prison forever.” 

“Yes,” the Wrath says. “You also know that if we turn him in to the Empire, he will be executed, thrown into carbonite or worse. If the spy was not Theron, he’d already be dead. I do not want him to be tortured or executed. I am not, however, inclined toward absolution.” 

”You want mercy. But you want punishment,” Satele says. 

”Yes. I want to ensure that if I let him live, you will hold him responsible.” 

”Grand Master, what she’s requesting is fair,” Timmns says. 

“It is. I’ve already asked for him to be held accountable for the Sixth Line’s demise. The rest of the Wrath’s statement confirms that it’s necessary. Agent, you will come directly to Coruscant, and you will be punished for your part in this. I’m contacting the SIS. Wrath, can you allow a Republic shuttle to land for him?”

”Copy,” the Wrath says, and turns to her comlink. “Pierce, one Republic shuttle will be landing at the People’s Tower and leaving immediately. Don’t shoot it.”

”Do you need us to stay with him?” Lana asks. 

”It’s probably best if you and the Republic officers do not cross paths,” Satele says. “I’ll leave for Coruscant immediately. I’ll be waiting with the SIS when his shuttle lands.” 

The entire tower shakes suddenly, and the Wrath and Lana are both seized with a feeling of foreboding. _If we remain here, we will die._

”We need to get out of here. Now.” The Wrath’s voice is low. “We won’t have another chance. I’ll have to cut this call short. Thank you for your assistance with this, Grand Master, Master Timmns.”

”Wrath, since I’m technically outside the Republic, I’ll ensure you know what happens,” Timnns tells her. 

”Thank you for your mercy, Wrath,” Satele says. “I will make sure the Council is aware of it.” 

“Thank you,” the Wrath says. The building shakes again. “We need to go. Wrath out.” 

Lana glares at Theron. “You should feel fortunate that Viri is the Wrath, and not me. If you ever do something like this again, I will find you, and you will deeply regret it.” 

“This is likely to be the only time I can spare you, Theron,” the Wrath says. “It would be in your best interests to ensure you’re never in this position again.”

“Thank you,” Theron stammers. “And I know it doesn’t change anything, but I’m sorry.” 

”As I said before, I’m sorry we’re not on the same side. I’m sorry you’re here.” The Wrath turns and walks away, with Lana and Vette beside her. 

”My shuttle is on the other side of the roof,” Lana says. “It’s got some of the old cloaking technology from Imperial Intelligence. It should get us to the orbital station.” 

“Let’s go.”

* 

As the trio approach the shuttle, there’s a flash of lightning. 

_I don’t think you’re going anywhere…yet. You can have heart-to-hearts with the Jedi; I think you owe me one, as well._ Vitiate’s voice makes the ground shake, and Vette hovers close to Lana and Viri, seeking protection. 

”What do you want, Vitiate?” the Wrath sneers. 

_What did you think you accomplished with all of this? Electric shocks. Baiting the possessed. You’re a smart woman, Wrath. Surely you know it was all a waste._

”If we got even one person away from you, it was not a waste,” the Wrath says. “And we did.” 

Vitiate laughs loud and long. _I’ve decided the galaxy is more interesting with you in it. If you want to rail against me, be my guest. Wear yourself out. But when this last life on this planet is extinguished, and then every other life in the galaxy…I want you alive to see it. I’d run along, if I were you._

“I will defeat you, Vitiate,” the Wrath says. “I promise you that.” 

_I wouldn’t be too sure of that, Wrath. But I’ll let you discover it for yourself._

Vette grabs the Wrath’s arm. “Get into the shuttle. Stop arguing with him. Please. We’ve got to go.” 

The Wrath nods and boards the shuttle. As it lifts off from the roof of the People’s Tower, she and Lana both glimpse a Republic shuttle flying in the opposite direction. 

“Viri.” As the shuttle speeds toward the orbital station, Lana turns to her and takes her hands. Raw affection and abject sadness course through their bond. 

Vette quietly slips into the pilot’s chair and takes the shuttle on several unnecessary loops around the orbital station as Viri and Lana silently stand together, their fingers linked, their eyes closed. 

* 

****

**Viri**

The scene at the orbital station is chaos. A long line of people stretches from the shuttle bays to the entrance of the cruiser, and Nox’s staff, along with Broonmark, 2V and Treek, are trying to guide them as best they can. Pierce is hunched over a portable mission control center in a corner, conferring with Moff Pyron and several other Imperial officers. 

”Moff Pyron is here?” Lana says, surprised. 

”Yes,” Ashara Zavros walks up behind them. “Pyron’s created a safety corridor to get the cruisers into hyperspace. They’re obviously trying to neutralize the Republic fleet, too, but the focus has been on getting everyone out. Darth Nox is here, as well, trying to organize things from her flagship. She sent us to the station to help. We’ve got three cruisers en route to Dromund Kaas already. This is the fourth. The people just don’t stop coming.” 

“Thank you,” Lana says, relieved. “I can’t thank the Dark Lord enough for her help.” 

Ashara looks angry. “This isn’t something to thank her for. It’s what needed to be done, and it’s a damn shame the rest of the Dark Council didn’t figure that out. Talos, board the kids and their parents first. They’re too little. The chaos here will upset them.” Talos Drelik walks past the rest of the queue, leading a group of small children and their families. 

“Minister!” an Imperial agent runs up to Lana. “Darth Marr is on the holo.” 

“I’m coming,” Lana says. “Wrath…thank you. I’m going to continue organizing evacuation efforts from Intelligence’s flagship after I’m through with Marr. We’ll talk later.” 

Lana locks eyes with Viri again, and there’s another flash of affection between them before she walks away. 

“What now?” Vette asks. “Viri, you look like hell. You need to rest. Maybe a nap, just for a few hours?” 

The Wrath puts her hand to her head. “I don’t know, Vette. I just don’t—“ 

”There are power spikes all over the planet!” 

”We’ve lost contact with the shuttle station!” 

”What’s happening?!” 

“The planet…”

Viri and Vette run to the station window just in time to see a black cloud spread across Ziost. It’s not necessary to see what’s happening on the surface of the planet; Viri feels the death and destruction in every cell in her body. Around the station, other Force sensitives are stopping in their tracks and crying out. Viri braces her hands against the window and wills herself not to vomit. 

And then, there is nothing. The planet is entirely gray. The orbital station is completely silent, as everyone tries to grasp what they’ve just witnessed. 

”We…aren’t getting any signals. No life signs. No power surges. Nothing.” The Imperial officers at the monitoring console are frantic. “This can’t be right.” 

Someone starts to sob. And then another person breaks down, and another. Pierce silently turns away from his console and heads quickly for the Tyuk’s airlock, holding one hand over his eyes. 

Viri steps away from the window and walks over to the line of evacuees, who are holding each other and crying. Ashara is dry heaving, and Vette wordlessly steers her away from the crowds and hugs her. 

_I am the Wrath. I must protect the Empire. That means getting these people onto the cruiser. Focus on the task._ Viri centers herself and addresses the crowd. “All of you…please continue to the cruiser. We need to get you out of here. Move along. You’re safe. A number of other cruisers have already left for Dromund Kaas, and there are thousands of people on this ship already, so if you don’t see someone you’re looking for here, check once you’re on board. I know. I know. I saw it too. No, I don’t know how many were still there. _We’re doing our best._ ” 

She stands next to Broonmark and helps direct the evacuees to safety, but her hands are shaking and her soul is numb. 


	27. The Path Forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **CONTENT WARNING:** This chapter is much less grim than 26, but there is some discussion of widespread death and destruction at the beginning. There is nothing graphic. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has continued to read, comment, leave kudos and repost my links to this work. It means a lot. <3

**Viri**

The atmosphere of Ziost is choked with ash, and in its gray shadow, the Wrath, Darth Nox and their crews resemble monochrome ghosts. Their respirators and goggles hide their expressions, but there’s no concealing their deep pain. 

Hours after Ziost was destroyed, they’re back on the planet’s surface. At first, it was called a rescue mission. Then, search and salvage. Now, nobody’s kidding themselves. They’re there to document the total destruction. The Imperial troopers that are milling around, scanning the few structures that still remain upright, will not be bringing much of anything back to the orbital station. It’s all ashes.

It’s easy to tell which of the troopers and officers are from Ziost; they’re the ones crouched down in the rubble, holding their heads, walking thoughtfully along one path or another, or turning in circles, trying to make sense of it all. Lt. Pierce is among them. At the moment he’s frozen in place, holding a charred street sign. 

As the Wrath walks by, she puts one hand on his shoulder. Pierce nods, and keeps staring at the sign in his hands. 

”This was my neighborhood, my lord,” he says quietly. 

”I’d tell you I’m sorry, but I don’t think it would do anything here. But…I can’t begin to imagine your pain. The crew and I are here for you.” 

”Thank you,” Pierce says, grateful. “Before we leave, I think I need some time to just walk a little, if that’s all right with you.” 

”Of course,” the Wrath says. “We’ll wait for you, if you want.” 

”Not necessary,” Pierce says brusquely. “But appreciated.” 

”We’ll be by the landing pad,” the Wrath tells him. “Take as much time as you need.” She walks over to join Nox and their crews, who are already assembled by the shuttle. 

”So we found those monoliths,” Nox says, consulting her datapad. “But otherwise, there is no life left on this planet. Neither plant nor animal. Wrath, will you sign off on that?”

The Wrath bows her head. “I will. I know we evacuated as many as we could, but…”

“Don’t start,” Darth Nox says. “Don’t you ever think that. We did everything we could. You, Pierce, your crew – you worked tirelessly. So did Lana. If we’d had one more Dark Council member here. Just _one._ A few extra ships from Marr or Ravage. Anything.” 

”I agree,” the Wrath says, quietly. 

”When I joined the Council, I had no idea it would be like this,” Nox says, looking out over the ash-covered hills that used to be New Adasta. 

”I didn’t realize the Wrath couldn’t save everyone,” Viri agrees. 

”You both do the best you can,” Ashara reminds them.

”When a planet has been annihilated, that doesn’t mean much,” Nox replies, putting a hand on Ashara’s arm to assuage the sting of the words. “Sometimes one’s best…just can’t accomplish everything.” 

”We might as well report in to Lana,” the Wrath says, and taps the holo on the datapad.

Lana immediately answers the call. ”Wrath, Nox, thank you for taking on this project for me. What have you found?”

”Very little,” the Wrath says. “No organic life forms, other than very large monoliths here and there. Nox and I both took rough counts for the area around New Adasta. We’re tried to document their patterns and their lairs, so those surveying Ziost on future trips can avoid them. Other than the monoliths, there are no plants or animals. Nobody survived the planet’s destruction. We’ve found a few remains, but most organic life appears to have been incinerated.” 

”We’re estimating that between 30% and 35% of the planet was evacuated. This is based on the last census versus the survivor count on Darth Nox’s ships. Nox was able to send off five vessels in total. The Wrath and her seconds escorted people to the landing pads from as many sections as New Adasta as they could. Every single one of the shuttles we had was running nearly continuously between Ziost and the orbital station, and once the evac programs came back online, we had droids assisting with evacuation around the planet…but we just didn’t have enough time, or enough spacecraft. There were only three hours between the time the evac programs were brought back online and the moment Ziost was destroyed. By that time, many people were already dead,” Vette says, reading from her datapad. 

”The atmosphere here is stable, but without respirators, it is extremely difficult to breathe,” Nox adds. “We’ll upload the results of our air quality testing. Oxygen content is lower than preferred, and toxins are far higher than would be considered safe. The wind is blowing the ash around, as well. We conclude that people should not be on the surface without eye protection and respirators, and should have very limited shifts. It also might be risky for droids, since this ash can blow into their mainframes and cause malfunctions.” 

”Talos, Jaesa and I surveyed the known coordinates of the Sith temples around New Adasta,” Ashara continues. “No intact artifacts are left. We did, however, capture images of the sites for future reference. We found several contemporary buildings still standing, but they have suffered extensive damage, and it is highly unlikely that they are structurally safe.” 

“Pierce and I were able to salvage the data cores from numerous Imperial droids. The databases and computers seem to be fried, but Imperial troops are extracting everything they can and disassembling whatever remains. We were also able to install a power generator near this landing pad for the use of the survey teams. It won’t provide much, but will allow holo-calls and data uploads to the orbital station,” Andronikos reports. 

“And as far as we can sense, Vitiate is no longer present on this world,” Darth Nox concludes. “We have five Force-sensitives on our team: myself, the Wrath, Lord Jaesa, Ashara and Khem Val. All of us agree. We have not sensed him at any time during this expedition. He’s no longer here.” 

”I can’t thank you enough for your assistance,” Lana says. “Wrath, Dark Lord, you and your teams have done an exemplary job, as usual.” 

”I want you to know that I am taking documentation from this survey and presenting it to the Dark Council,” Darth Nox says. “I’m aware that Marr was occupied with another very pressing concern, and that Vowrawn is out of communication, but I find it unacceptable that we received no additional help. I will also be asking for commendations for you, the Wrath, Lord Jaesa, Lt. Pierce and Vette for your service here.” 

”Dark Lord, thank you,” Lana says, bowing her head. 

Pierce ambles up to the landing pad. “I’ve said my goodbyes. I’m ready to leave.” 

The Wrath nods. “We’re all set, Lana. Is there anything else you’d like us to do?”

”Wrath, I’d have a word with you, back at the Fleet. Darth Nox, I will speak to you soon. Again, your support has been invaluable here. I can’t thank you enough.” 

*

**Lana and Viri**

Lana doesn’t really know why she’s requested Darth Arkous’s old office as her own. It’s on the White Nova, away from Dromund Kaas. It’s small, quiet and familiar. Maybe that’s it. She numbly taps one button after the next on her computers, filing her reports with the Dark Council. 

_As if they even care. Where were they?_ Lana pushes the thought out of her head. 

”Lana?” She knows Viri is nearby before she hears her voice, because the bond stops hurting for once. She turns to see the Empire’s Wrath standing hesitantly near the doorway, with Jaesa and Vette behind her. Her face is wan, and her eyes look haunted. A memory surfaces: the Wrath, standing in the same doorway in her black robe and hood, frightening, intimidating, pulsing with Force energy, as she was introduced to Darth Arkous. Her first words to Lana: _You read me well._

”Can we talk, Wrath?” Lana says the words tentatively. 

”Of course. Jae, Vette, I’ll meet you two at the cantina.” The two women nod and walk away, but Jaesa turns back and scrutinizes Lana. 

”She still cares just as much as she ever did,” Jaesa tells Viri. “She’s so scared.” 

”Jaesa –“ Jaesa has already started walking toward the elevators. 

”It’s all right. She’s correct,” Lana says, smiling slightly. “There isn’t a damn thing that can be done about it right now, but so you know…I would have it otherwise.” 

Viri bows her head. “Right. So what did you want to talk about?” 

Lana looks at her sadly. ”I wanted to thank you again for all your help on Ziost. It was a blur. You and Nox’s efforts meant we were able to get at least some people offworld. That means much.”

”It was my duty to help,” Viri nods. “I should let you know that I’ve heard about the SIS agent from my Nar Shaddaa friend. He’s been placed on indefinite administrative leave from the SIS. No clearance to do anything. He is being tasked with menial work at the Jedi Temple and cannot leave for now.” 

”It’s a slap on the wrist.” 

“You couldn’t kill or arrest him any more than I could.” 

”No, I couldn’t. The value we place on past allies…” Lana answers an alert on her console and turns to Viri. “Still. The failures on Ziost go well beyond the Republic’s involvement.” 

”Lana, we did everything we could.”

“I trusted a spy.” Lana’s voice is laced with bitterness. “Kovach was working for Saresh and I didn’t pick up on it. I sent him off with you and Jaesa. He could have assassinated you. He stopped our evacuations. The damage he caused…” 

”Spies are spies because they’re good at evading detection,” Viri says. “Not to mention that it’s not as though you could have, I don’t know, had Intelligence vet him fully. Marr threw you in charge of this agency, gave you scraps to work with, and didn’t give you the tools you would have needed to root out a spy. I’ll remind you that Kovach apparently had been with Intelligence for a while.” 

”Yes, he was employed by the old Imperial Intelligence as well,” Lana says. “So?” 

”If they didn’t find him, with all their resources, how could you?” 

“Wrath…Viri…what happened was unacceptable. I failed the Empire. Please don’t sugarcoat it.” 

“I’m not sugarcoating. I’m telling you the truth,” Viri says, stepping in front of Lana. “I was on the surface of that planet. I saw the piles of ashes everywhere. I felt the death and destruction as much as you did. But we did what we could.” 

”It wasn’t enough.” 

“Lana, I’m feeling the loss, acutely. But I sense that you’re hating yourself. What do you think you could have done differently? What could you, as an individual – or even you, with the Imperial troops on Ziost – have possibly done to stop a murderous, one-thousand-year-old individual who was strong enough in the Force to possess thousands of people simultaneously?”

”I…”

”There isn’t an answer to this, Lana, _and you know it._ The Dark Council didn’t even bother to show up, aside from Darth Nox. Nox is brilliant, and was able to hold off the Republic fleet and evacuate people, but she didn’t have any ideas about killing Vitiate. The moffs didn’t, either. Pierce is a tactical genius, and the best he could do was give us escape and containment routes. None of us knew how to handle this at all.” 

“ _You_ could have stopped him, if we’d had more time.” 

”How do you figure that? I had no idea how the fuck to stop him. I was just as much in the dark as everyone else.” 

”You stopped the Dread Masters and they were similar…” 

”The Dread Masters were insects next to Vitiate. They were weak enough to be apprehended and contained on Belsavis by the Republic in the first place. They needed six people to be a functioning, fully effective unit. _And_ you know very well that I didn’t kill all six of them at once. They were picked off one by one, essentially.”

Viri paces angrily. “I’m sure there’s a way to kill him once and for all, but none of us have figured it out yet. Lana… _there was nothing you could have done_ to stop Vitiate on Ziost. All you could do was what you did: try to stop those he’d possessed, and get everyone else off the planet.” 

Lana takes a deep breath and looks up. “I’m not going to wallow, if that is your concern. I’m going to learn from my mistakes. Being here…Wrath…”

”Can’t I be Viri, just here?” 

”All right,” Lana concedes. “Viri, when Darth Arkous asked for my counsel, I considered refusing. I wanted knowledge and understanding, not a place in the power structure. But I’m here. Vitiate is more powerful than ever. Even if it is impossible to stop him – and I don’t think it is – we still have to try.” 

”Is that optimism I hear?” Viri asks playfully. 

”I think so. Imagine that.” A brief smile flits across Lana’s face, and Viri’s heart aches. _I’ve missed that smile._

”The fate of the Empire does not rest on your shoulders alone, Lana.”

Lana shakes her head. “But I’m responsible…” 

”…for everything, and everyone. Even things you didn’t know existed,” Viri says, finishing the sentence for her. “And every decision you make could cost millions or billions of lives. Every casualty weighs on you, even if you did everything you could to prevent it. It’s a very heavy burden.”

Lana slowly turns to look at her. “…the same burden you have.” 

Viri nods. “Indeed. Or a very similar one.” 

“Do you ever get used to it?”

”No,” Viri says. “It’s always going to weigh on you, because the magnitude of the decisions, and the consequences, never lessen. You just…do the best you can with the information and resources you have at the time. You learn to carry it. It’s all you can do.”

Lana catches Viri’s eyes and gazes at her for a long moment. 

”Thank you, Viri. Truly. As I go forward, I will do my best to remember that.” 

“What is the path forward?” Viri asks. 

Lana shakes her head. “I’m not sure, to be honest. The Republic are licking their wounds, same as us. Vitiate has not been heard from since he obliterated Ziost, but he’s undoubtedly still out there. And he’s hardly our only concern.” 

”Marr did tell me that Korriban and Balmorra were attacked while we were occupied with Ziost…there were some incidents while we were dealing with Revan too, from what I understand.” 

”Random assaults on various outposts and ships going back at least a few years seem to follow the same pattern. They attack, cause mass destruction, and leave without a trace,” Lana says. “They’ve been blamed on pirates, but that seems unlikely, given the amount of firepower involved. Whoever it is, they are attacking the Republic too.” 

”Marr’s sending a coalition into Wild Space to search for Vitiate. It would seem to be a good possibility that our anonymous attackers come from the same place,” Viri says. 

”You’re going?” 

”Yes. The crew and I are heading to my place in Kaas City to rest up for a day or two, and then we’ll be meeting up with Marr’s fleet. Nox is also going. Marr is not my favorite person, but if we can actually track Vitiate down – or the perpetrators of those other attacks – I’m sure I’ll be needed.” 

“Unfortunately, I’m sure you’re right,” Lana says. 

”Unfortunately?” 

”I know it’s your job to face danger. All the same, I wor---“ Lana’s voice trails off as she looks away. “Anyway. It seems that we both have our tasks. I suppose I should return to looking after the security of the Sith Empire. Unless there was anything else you wanted to talk about?” 

Viri stares at her. Lana’s head is down, she’s bracing her arms on the console, and wave after wave of sheer misery is emanating from her. 

”I hope you know I’m here for you. You’re not alone. Even if we can’t be together right now, we’re still friends, and I’ll do whatever I can to help you. Anything you need, Lana, anything at all,” Viri says. Her face is open and earnest, and the truth behind her words touches Lana. 

_She cares. She’s here. She’s supporting me, even though her heart is broken. I love her. I won’t answer to anyone on that._

“ _Anything_ I need?” asks Lana, as she walks over to Viri. Viri watches her curiously, and when Lana’s lips touch hers, she actually jumps. Lana feels Viri’s surprise coursing through their bond, and then the welcome pressure of strong hands winding around her back as they explore, connect, remember. Lana smiles as she holds her love close, slides her tongue into Viri’s mouth, and pulls her into a deep, satisfying kiss that seems to go on forever. 

When they finally come up for air, they embrace for a long moment, just reveling in the bliss of being in each other’s arms again. Their minds open and they fall into their connection. _Together with you. Yes. As it should be._

“That will do, for now,” Lana says, catching Viri’s eye as she reluctantly breaks the hug. Viri nods wordlessly and lets Lana walk away, but stares after her. Their bond is alive with emotion. _Desire. Understanding. Love._

Lana turns at the door and makes a decision. She doesn’t know when they will be able to be together again, but she knows there’s something she needs to tell Viri. 

“Be well…my love.” 

Viri puts both hands to her heart and nods, her eyes bright with joy. “You’ll be here.” 

The two women lock eyes for a long moment before Lana finally leaves the room. Neither of them has said those three words; both of them have. For several minutes after Lana is gone, Viri stands where she is, her hands on her heart; her eyes closed.


	28. Lost

_Four Days Later_

**Viri**

The Tyuk pulls alongside Darth Marr's flagship and attaches to an airlock. Viri, dressed in her formal Wrath armor, takes one last look in the mirror before striding to the hatch of her ship.

"Viri, remember: no stabbing Marr. 'k?" Vette playfully elbows Viri in the ribs as they wait for the hatch to open. 

"I won't stab Marr," Viri scoffs, rolling her eyes. "I'm being professional. I'm being cordial. We have a task at hand. While I'm gone, get Marr's staff to detail the ship, though. He can do that much."

"Your name tends to get fast service," Vette laughs. "I'll make sure none of those Republic 'allies' come sniffing around, too."

"Good thinking, Vette," Viri smiles. "See you soon." She walks out of the Tyuk and heads toward the bridge for her meeting with Darth Marr. 

**Lana**

It's been one meeting after the next at Sith Intelligence's headquarters at the Citadel, and Lana is exhausted. Since her return from Ziost, one of her top priorities has been rooting out any additional SIS or Hutt double agents. Thus far, they've uncovered four. Apparently, Imperial Intelligence was in such a state of chaos during the end of the Cold War that a number of questionable people fell through the cracks and infiltrated the system. 

They've spent the day discussing new safeguards; more advanced cipher protocols; novel training programs. As Lana finally puts on her cloak and walks to her private speeder bay, she feels confident that she's going to be able to usher in a better era in Intelligence for the Empire. The Empire is changing, and she she will be a part of it. 

**Viri**

"I am glad you decided to join us, Wrath," Darth Marr says, pacing on the bridge.

"Whatever my personal feelings might be, we have a common interest and a common enemy," Viri tells him. "I think we both wish to see the Empire move in a more productive direction. Eliminating our former Emperor can only help in that regard."

"Indeed," Marr says, continuing to pace. "Vitiate is quiet at the moment. But he was also silent for weeks after Yavin, before resurfacing on Ziost. It's only a matter of time before he emerges on another planet and causes similar destruction."

"He feeds on death," Viri reminds Marr. "All of the skirmishes and assaults - both from those mystery attackers and the Republic - are potentially nourishing him; making him strong enough to devour another planet."

"That is true," Marr replies. "Given that Korriban has been attacked and Ziost has been annihilated, I predict that his next target would be Dromund Kaas. We must stop him before he can get there." 

"I fully agree," Viri says. "If he's out here in Wild Space, it would be safest for all to apprehend and eliminate him here, rather than to engage him back in Imperial territory."

The view outside the windows changes from a blue tunnel to a field of stars as the coalition vessels drop out of hyperspace together. They barely have time to orient themselves before several pods hit the side of Marr's flagship.

 **Lana**

Lana snuggles into Viri's robe and sips her tea and bourbon as she gazes out the windows of her apartment. The view in Kaas City never really changes; whether it's day or night, it's usually stormy. There are never any stars in the Dromund Kaas sky; it's always too overcast to see any. Lana finds that she misses the clear skies of Yavin and Rishi; of being able to look up at the night sky and see a million glittering diamonds overhead. On Yavin, she and Viri had taken to stargazing; to sprawling out on the roof of the ruins to study the sky together, to memorize the positions of constellations and planets. 

As Lana finishes her drink and prepares for bed, she looks up at the sky again. Viri is out there tonight; venturing into Wild Space to aid the Empire. Lana finds herself wondering how the sky looks from Viri's vantage point; which stars she sees. There is a feeling of unease in the pit of her stomach, and she chastises herself for it. Viri is fully capable of taking care of herself, and although Lana knows this, it does nothing to assuage her constant worry. 

Lana gets into bed and turns off the light, but discomfit keeps gnawing at her. She pushes it down and forces herself to go to sleep. Viri can handle herself, and Lana knows it.

 **Viri**

She’s going to die. She knows it. 

Marr’s ship is barely holding together; every centimeter of metal stressed by the constant assaults from the vessels around them. The minute they’d emerged from hyperspace they’d been battered by an unknown fleet, and they hadn’t stood a chance. The engineering deck is filling with acrid smoke as the fire spreads, and she can hear more and more bombs pummeling the other ships in Marr’s coalition. 

Still, Viri muses, in a last moment of clarity: not everyone is going to die with her. There's that, at least. The crew is gone, ejected safely in the escape pods. The Tyuk has been ordered back into hyperspace, so Vette and her other friends should be safe. She takes comfort in that; that even at the last, she’s saved some lives. Still: the deaths of many are resonating through her soul. _Nox._ So many others. 

Viri has had a lot of time, over the course of her life, to reflect on what death must feel like, but here, at its precipice, she finds herself fascinated by how calm she is. She sees Marr through the smoke, and then nothing but sparks as the ship seems to completely come apart, but there’s a sudden awareness: she’s not out in space. She’s inside a pressurized chamber. As she looks up through the flames, she realizes that Marr’s ship has been swallowed up by a larger one. The air has been flooded with some sort of green gas, and she can’t stop her eyes from closing. 

So this is death, she muses. Surprising. 

_”That’s the one we want. The woman. Take her away._ ” 

**Lana**

Lana is shaken from her sleep in the middle of the night as scores of Force sensitives die, and violently. She doesn't know who, exactly; she just knows she's sitting up in her bed and screaming as she feels the disturbances in the Force. 

Lana gets up immediately. The chrono by her bed reads 0300, and the sky is black over Kaas City, with lightning in the distance occasionally illuminating the clouds. Before she can even reach her desk, her home console, comlink and holo channels light up en masse. “Yes, I just felt it…I want every person we have on this. Everything else is suspended. You can’t raise _any_ of their ships anymore? I’m on my way.”

Lana dresses and rushes to the Citadel, where the scene inside Sith Intelligence is sheer chaos. Every single ship in Darth Marr's coalition has sent up distress signals; all have since ceased communications and dropped off the scanners. A nearby Imperial ship that rushed to their aid has similarly disappeared. Lana barks orders, directing various watchers and fixers from place to place. "I want all Imperial vessels, both military and civilian, to stay away from that corridor. Put our outposts on Hoth, Belsavis and Ilum on high alert."

As dawn breaks over Kaas City, the offices of Sith Intelligence become deathly silent as the magnitude of the situation becomes truly apparent. The ships' manifests and security access log guests comprise many of the Empire's best and brightest. Darth Marr’s entire command fleet: gone. Darth Nox’s fleet, with Moff Pyron at its helm: gone. Ten other moffs. Roughly forty other Sith. Countless Imperial officers and troopers. Several Republic Thranta-class ships that had been welcomed to Marr’s coalition. Two Dark Council members. The Empire’s Wrath. 

The Wrath. 

_Viri. Dear Force, Viri. No. Please, no._ Lana breathes hard as she steeples her hands in front of her forehead. She instantly reaches for her holo, but before she can call Viri, another Imperial agent is standing at her console. 

“Minister, we need you…” 

Lana takes a deep breath and rises from her computer. _Viri is fine. She has to be. If she isn’t…I can’t even consider it._ “All right, I’m on my way.” 

**Viri**

_I’m…not dead, am I?_ Viri’s eyes blink rapidly as she wakes. Her head – nay, every part of her – is throbbing, and she thinks she’s broken her arm. But she’s somehow been taken from the wreckage of Marr’s flagship; somehow ended up in this holding cell; somehow been placed on a bed with a clean pillow and sheets. The emblems on the walls are entirely unfamiliar to her, they bear no resemblance to anything she’s ever seen in the Empire or Republic. The silent guards, similarly, wear uniforms she’s never seen before. 

Viri's throat goes dry as she realizes that her most constant companion - the Force - is nearly silent. It's still there, but it's so weak and distant that she knows she won't be able to call upon it for help. It’s as though she’s a ghost, with no connection to the world around her, and she takes a deep breath to calm herself. Her wrists are weighed down with heavy shackles, and she realizes that they must be suppressing the Force. Her hands pull desperately at her bonds, but there’s no escape. When she looks down to her hip she sees that her lightsaber has been confiscated, too. 

”You’re awake. You can walk, I take it?” A man in white looms over her, sneering. And Viri makes a decision: she will not speak to him. She will remain silent. No matter what happens, she will not talk. He is not worthy of her words. As the guards prod her to stand and leave the room, she steels herself for whatever is to come.

She is led into a corridor, and she isn't surprised, somehow, when another cotillion of guards arrives with Darth Marr, similarly shackled. Nor is she surprised when they are escorted into a throne room, and she finds herself face to face with the Sith Emperor, hiding behind another face and the name of Valkorion. Of course, it was all him, all along. 

Viri still refuses to speak, even when Marr is struck down beside her. A sense of absolute stillness washes over her as she faces her fate. She is mute as Valkorion orders her execution; mute as her executioner unlocks her shackles and hands her back her lightsaber; mute as she kills the Emperor's mortal form. She's being used and she knows it; her executioner will turn on her the moment she strikes down Valkorion. Still, there is no other way to proceed. As she is hit with a storm of energy, she knows that finally, she's done everything she can. _I told you I would strike you down, Vitiate. And I did._

**Lana**

In the afternoon there’s a breakthrough, and one of the Watchers jumps up excitedly from his console. “Minister Beniko! We’re getting signals from Imperial escape pods. Lots of them. Some are coded with Marr and Nox’s call signs. They’ve landed on Belsavis.” 

Lana’s mind sparks with hope. “Excellent. Get me the survivors’ names. Send the med teams to them, interview them – no interrogations or you will answer to me - if they’re able to talk, and then arrange for them to return to Dromund Kaas. If they’re our people, put them on indefinite medical leave so they can recover. If they’re Republic, tread lightly. They were in Marr’s coalition, so treat them as allies. Let them go to the closest Republic outpost.”

Hundreds of escape pods check in, and compiling the survivor list from them all takes until well after midnight. As grateful as Lana is that so many have survived, her heart sinks as she scans the final roster. There are several minor officers on it, as well as the members of Darth Nox’s crew, but the Wrath, Marr and Nox, as well as the ships’ captains and the moffs, are still not accounted for. Neither is the Wrath’s crew. 

_I didn’t feel Viri or Darth Marr die. There’s that, at lea---_ Lana cannot even complete the thought as she senses Darth Marr’s death, soundly and definitively. She leans over the side of her chair, gagging, and does not have time to recover before a second death - _the Emperor?!_ \- hits her hard enough to bring tears to her eyes. 

_Viri, what has happened…_

When she’s able to catch her breath, Lana grabs her personal holo. There’s a growing sense of dread in the pit of her stomach, her nerves are sparking with pain, and the bond is screaming in terror. 

**Viri**

She can’t move; she can’t speak. The shackles are gone, and being reunited with the Force is a comfort, but even that’s not helping her right now. She’s being dragged down the hallway by her arms. Her eyes flick left to right and her hands twitch, seeking her lightsaber, but it’s gone, and her brain cannot focus enough to do anything without it. 

She does not register what’s happening when the noxious vapors hit her, but the pain is excruciating. She has time to scream once – and just once – before she’s frozen in carbonite. 

“And that’s that, for the Outlander,” the Knight of Zakuul chuckles, stepping away from the console in the freezing chamber. “Arcann’s already picked out a special place for her in the vault.” The carbonite block turns from red to brown as it cools. The holo that is still in Viri’s pocket rings and rings, but she’ll never pick up. Not now. She can’t. 

**Lana**

As she finds Viri’s frequency on the speed call settings, a bolt of pain makes Lana cry out, and she instantly knows that something wrong – very wrong – has occurred.

“Come on, Viri, answer, damn it…” Her call to Viri’s holo goes unanswered, so she tries the ship. Almost immediately, Vette’s image appears, and Lana exhales with relief. 

“Lana! Do you know where Viri is? Please tell me that’s why you’re calling.”

”I was calling to ask you where she was,” Lana says, her stomach turning to ice. “You don’t know, either? Are you safe? Where are you?”

”No, we don’t know where she is,” Vette says faintly. Her eyes are swollen, as though she’s been crying. “We’re on the way to Nar Shaddaa now, and the whole crew is fine. But she…Lana…she’s not with us. I don’t think she’s alive.” 

_No oh no oh no._

”Back up, Vette. What happened? Give me as many details as you can.” 

”All right.” Vette takes a deep breath. “You know about Marr’s expedition to Wild Space, right?” 

”Yes, of course. Did Viri join Darth Marr on his flagship? What were you doing?” 

”We docked with the flagship and got the Tyuk detailed while we were waiting for Viri to return. We made it to Wild Space, but Marr’s fleet was attacked by about a gazillion ships. I don’t know where they were from. They didn’t look like Republic _or_ Imperial models. Viri freed our starship from the airlock and insisted that we escape back to the Empire. She would not leave Marr, and she told us to take the first opening we saw and get out of there. So we did. But…since then, I haven’t been able to get her on the comlink or the holo. She’s not even answering the alarm on her earpiece. Neither is Darth Nox.”

”What was Darth Nox doing? Was she with Marr and Viri?”

”No. According to Ashara, she was about to shuttle over to Marr’s flagship when all hell broke loose. Ashara and Nox’s team were sent off in the escape pods too, so they’re fine physically, but they’re frantic. Ashara’s been on the holo with me every hour, but we’re not finding anything. The ships are not on the scanners, they’re not responding to emails, nothing. They’re just…gone.” 

“How can an entire fleet be destroyed, or vanish, or…” 

”Your guess is as good as mine, Lana,” Vette says. “Given the way they were getting pummeled by those unfamiliar ships, I don’t think there’s much left to find. Viri’s gotten out of a lot of terrible situations…but I don’t think she made it this time. 

“I never expected to lose her…damn her. She wasn’t supposed to die.” Vette puts one hand to her mouth and stifles a sob. 

Lana puts her head in her hands. “But…I didn’t feel her die, and given our connection, I think I would have done. Jaesa! Is Jaesa there? Did she feel anything?” 

Jaesa ambles into the frame. She, too, looks as though she’s been crying. ”No. I felt a number of people, all strong in the Force, die. Quite a few of them at once. I…think Nox was among them. I’m not sure. About a half hour ago, I felt Darth Marr die, definitely. The Emperor, as well. But not her. Absolutely not her. I’ve reached out to try to find her, and it’s as though…she’s just not there. Not dead, but not alive, either. I don’t think she’s been killed, but I think something terrible has happened to her, and that she’s not in a place where she can respond. Like she’s in a coma or something.” 

”If she’s not dead, there’s still hope. I will see what I can find. You do the same. If you hear anything, please let me know.” 

“We will,” Jaesa says, as her voice begins to break. “We…I’m sorry Lana. We can’t talk any more right now.” The holo goes dark. 

_Viri’s not dead. She cannot be dead. There’s no way._ Lana fishes the small holoportrait of her and Viri out of her pocket and stares at it. _At least…I told her I loved her before…stop. she’s. not. dead._

Another Imperial officer approaches Lana very tentatively. “Minister Beniko, we have someone from the Imperial News Service on the holo. They want to know what to report.” 

”Tell them we have a major attack on our hands, but that the details are still unclear. If someone had a loved one on the expedition, have them get in touch with us privately.” 

For the rest of the evening, and the next day, and the day after, Lana keeps herself calm by repeating four words to herself: _Viri is not dead._ It becomes Lana’s comfort; a prayer; a rallying cry. 

* 

_”Viri.”_ Lana closes her eyes and meditates. She’s been focusing on Viri; reaching out; stretching her abilities to their greatest extent to try to locate the Empire’s Wrath. If Viri is not dead, she reasons, there must be a way to find her.

And today, she does.

”Lana!” Viri is standing at the end of a long road, in a cold, stark, landscape. It reminds Lana of Ziost, of Oricon; nothing but black stones and angry skies. Lana feels her Force signature; knows that it is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, _Viri._

”Viri! Where are you?!”

Viri shakes her head sadly. 

”Damn it, tell me where you are! You impossible brat…help me find you.” 

”It’s cold here. Everything’s ashes. I…can’t think straight, Lana.” 

“Viri, try. Please. Do you remember the last place you were?”

Viri looks at her and takes a deep breath. “Wait. I do remember. It’s --.” 

“Talking to someone, Viridana? Tsk. We’ll have to stop _that…_ ” A malicious male voice – one Lana thinks she knows - echoes through her head as the connection is abruptly cut. 

*

**Three Months Later**

_A small selection of condolence letters from Viridana Dragoi’s memorial book, held in the Imperial Archives_

\- I worked with Viridana Dragoi when she was a young apprentice. I was impressed with her maturity, presence of mind, drive, strength, and integrity. I regret not having another chance to work with her. This is a great loss to the Empire – Lord Zavrasha

\- I met the Wrath when she was a little acolyte with a warblade on Korriban. She risked her neck to stop my deranged master from killing and dissecting animals. She was meant for greatness and she found it. Sleep well, Lord Wrath. – Darth Mallora

\- You saved my life on Makeb. It was a true honor to work with you and fight by your side. I am anguished I did not have a chance to save your life in return. – Lord Cytharat

\- You are still the better Sith, Darth Viridana. You always will be. – Lord Rathari

\- The sands will remember you fondly. So will I. – Sharack Breev

\- The Empire’s Wrath rescued me and my friends in the Academy on Ziost. She also saved my taunling, Herman. Someone tried to take Herman away from me, and the Wrath told them that my pet could come with me. Then she ordered the soldier to let everyone else take their pets, too. Being away from Ziost is easier with Herman here. Thank you, Lord Wrath. – Lou Jelries

\- Your support and calm strength on Hoth were invaluable to both me and the Imperial troops. I deeply regret to hear of your passing. – Commander Yudrass

\- Your courage and determination saved my life and that of my officers and crew, in the face of what seemed like an impossible situation. Your loss is a loss to all of us. – Captain R. Orzik

\- My dear Wrath. I know others will disagree with me, but I do not think your story ends here. You will rise, victorious, even if it requires you to return from beyond the grave. You will triumph, as you did before. I fully intend to be there to congratulate you, when you do. – Darth Vowrawn

* 

**Lana**

The weather in Kaas City is frightful as usual, and Lana shivers in the damp air as she stands with the rest of the honored guests at the memorial service for the Empire's Wrath, Darth Nox and Darth Marr. 

Lana would not have it this way. She has used every contact at her disposal. Every network. Every obscure resource on every Outer Rim outpost. She's dug through every sliced databank she can. And while it now seems clear who is responsible for the destruction of Darth Marr's expedition - their 'mystery attackers' have emerged and revealed themselves to be the Eternal Empire of Zakuul - nobody is able to ascertain what happened to Viridana Dragoi. And while Lana knows that Viri is not dead, nobody else is inclined to agree with her. She has been unable to stop the Empire from declaring Viri to be Killed in Action. 

So many Sith have perished over the past few months that pulling aside three for a state funeral is almost absurd, but everyone acknowledges that this trio merits it. If nothing else, it's lending everyone a moment of unity in the midst of the bloody infighting. The Empire is now fighting wars on three fronts: the Republic, the Eternal Empire, and some of the remaining Council members, who are struggling amongst themselves for power and dragging their own troops into their personal vendettas. The Dark Council is in tatters, and without a leader, the Empire's fate is precarious. If nothing else, though, they can all agree that the Wrath and the two Dark Councillors are severely missed.

Lana is wearing her most formal Sith robes; stark black and red. There is a blue scarf around her neck, and she doesn’t care that it matches nothing else in the outfit. Nobody’s going to call her on it, under the circumstances. As Viridana Dragoi’s significant other – there’s no longer any point in hiding or denying it – she will wear whatever she pleases at this memorial ceremony. And what pleases her is to wear Viri’s scarf. 

Lt. Pierce stands stoically next to Lana, dressed in his formal officer’s uniform. Darth Nox is represented by Talos and Andronikos, both of whom are wearing their best. Talos looks straight ahead; his gentle eyes are shadowed and sad. Andronikos, in contrast, stares at the ground. He seems completely out of place in his black suit. 

The Imperial officials walk down the line and shake hands with the families of the lost Sith and Imperial officers and troops. They are given blood-red crystals to remember their loved ones by. When the officers nod, several youngsters from the local Sith Intermediate Academy lift a curtain and unveil the new additions to the Memorial to the Great Sith. Viri, Nox and Marr’s names have been inscribed on a special section of the wall. 

_Darth Viridana_  
The Empire’s Wrath  
Viridana Revarre Dragoi  
Aged 32 

_Darth Nox_  
Lord of the Dark Council  
Suvia Kallig  
Aged 25 

_Darth Marr_  
Lord of the Dark Council  
Aged 65 

The Aurebesh letters on the Memorial are stark and cold, and Lana can’t stop staring at Viri’s inscription. It is her cenotaph; everyone has given up hope of finding her body. Marr and Nox’s fleets were, apparently, reduced to stardust. 

Lana stands next to Pierce and listens impassively to the speeches and platitudes. She’s acutely aware of Holonet cameras whirring near her face; the ceremony is being broadcast across the Empire, as well as many planets in conflicted, neutral and Hutt territory. As the officials drone on, Lana studies the audience filling the square around the Memorial. She sees entire classes from the local schools and Sith Academies; ordinary citizens and troopers. Her attention is drawn to a short female Sith at the front of the crowd, who is clad in a long black robe and hood. As Lana stares at her, the Sith reveals her face. _Jaesa._ Lana nods to her, and Jaesa returns the greeting before replacing her hood. 

When the last speech has concluded, Pierce and Lana exhale and turn away from the cameras. Lana scans the crowds for Jaesa, but the young Sith has vanished. 

“Why didn’t Viri choose another name for herself?” Pierce asks. “I always wondered. It seemed like some of the other Darths had fancy names, but she just used Viridana. And she answered to so many things…Darth Dragoi, Lord Dragoi, Lord Wrath. She was just Viri to us. She never stood on ceremony. Never insisted we call her anything formal.”

”I don’t think the name was as important as the intention,” Lana says. “She wanted to keep her own identity. She – she does.” 

“You think she’s still alive,” Pierce says. 

”I know she is.” 

”If you find any leads, let me know,” Lt. Pierce tells Lana. “I do think she’s still out there, myself. She’s a damn good fighter and a damn good leader. She shouldn’t be lost.” 

”I’ll let you know as soon as I discover anything,” Lana tells him. “Good luck, Pierce.” 

Pierce nods and walks back toward the Citadel. He’s already been reassigned; the only one of Viri’s crew members to find a new place in the Empire. Talos, from Darth Nox’s crew, has similarly found a place to land; the Reclamation Service has already reclaimed him. 

Now that Viri has been declared legally dead, the responses have poured in. Some have expressed delight in her demise, such as Supreme Chancellor Saresh. However, the people offering tributes and fond memories far outweigh the detractors. Someone at the Coronet Zoo, who remembers both Viri and her mother, names a wing for them. There are some statues; some memorial holos. Even in her grief, Lana has to smile when she hears that Viri’s favorite bakery on Nar Shaddaa has named a cookie for her. 

Lana’s datapad beeps, and she stops in an alcove to check her messages. There are several new emails, including one from an anonymous sender. 

_Lana, I’m so sorry. – T.S._

There’s a second: 

_I’m sure you know that ‘Viridana’ means ‘green.’ I thus thought it was fitting to plant a tree for her in my garden on Coruscant. I think she would be pleased to see something grow and flourish in her name, even if it’s in Jedi country. May the Force be with you, and may your memories of Viri bring you comfort. – Satele_

A third: 

_Words cannot express how sorry I am, Lana. Even from my vantage point, I could see that Viri and you meant a lot to each other. Jedi may not be allowed to know love, but I could recognize it in you two. Viri was an extraordinary woman and friend, and I will always remember and admire her courage, determination and dedication to doing what she believed to be right. I firmly believe that the best way to honor her legacy is to continue building alliances and seeking common ground, and that is the lesson I will impart to my students._

_I’ve dedicated the meditation fountain in my center to Viri. I remember how much she loved water, and I think she’d approve. I also think she’d try to jump in and swim through it, laughing all the while._

_If you are ever on Nar Shaddaa I invite you to visit us, share some tea, and remember her there. May the Force serve you well. – Somminick Timmns_

And then another: 

_I guess it’s official now. So hard to believe. I’m packing up her house in Nar Shaddaa. I guess I could have stayed in it, but I don’t feel right without Viri being there. We all think it’s safer to stay in Hutt space, out of reach of any Sith that might have a vendetta against Viri. Ashara and Xalek are here too, for the same reason. I’m sure you understand. I think Viri would, too. But it killed me not to be there for her memorial. I know Viri would have wanted me to stay safe and not worry about being there, but I wanted to tell you._

_Jaesa, Treek and Broonmark have all vanished already. But they all mourned Viri deeply and they loved her. Jaesa was sick with grief, even though she didn’t want to admit it._

_When I met Viri on Korriban I never imagined that young, fierce Sith with weird eye makeup was going to become my closest friend and adopted sister. She always listened to me and tried to see my point of view. Even at the end she looked out for all of us, and that is what I will remember._

_Be well, Lana. Viri loved you so much. I’m so sorry you two didn’t have a chance to find your happily ever after. I think it would have been beautiful. – Vette_

_She’s not dead. I didn’t feel her die._ Lana defiantly repeats the statement in her mind as she walks to the taxi stand. It’s what keeps her going. 

**Viri**

Before she was frozen, Viri had assumed that carbonite hibernation was a long, merciful sleep. Now she knows better. For her, it’s an almost endless nightmare. 

Today Viri is running through a dark version of Makeb, trying to keep her balance as the ground crumbles under her feet. A clutch of quaint blue and white cottages looms ahead of her. At one time, in another reality, she would have liked to have lived on Makeb, in one of these houses. She veers toward them, hoping they will give her a place to rest, at least for a little while. 

She steps warily through the door of the closest cottage. For once, there aren’t any corpses sprawled across the floor. She feels someone upstairs, so she bounds up the staircase. 

Lana Beniko is sitting on the floor, meditating. 

So many times, these visions have ended badly, Viri muses. She knows she’s dreaming, but it doesn’t stop it all from being real. It’s the only reality she has at the moment. Sometimes when she approaches her friends and family, their faces melt away. Sometimes they die right in front of her. Sometimes they tell her they’ve always hated her and are glad that she’s dead. Sometimes one of her old enemies, people she vanquished years ago, rises to kill them all. The ghosts of Darth Baras, Nomen Karr, Revan, Darth Malgus, countless others…they have all stalked her here. 

It’s all par for the course. The former Sith Emperor – Vitiate, or Valkorion – has set up shop in her mind. He has infinite ways to hurt her, and he uses as many of them as he can. 

She knows what he’s doing: he’s trying to break her. He wants her pliable and amenable; he wants her to think he’s somehow transformed from malevolent world-devourer to grandfatherly benefactor. He wants to drive her to madness or complete vulnerability. She knows better. The more kindly Valkorion appears, the more she pushes back. She knows this game, and she will not break. Not for him. 

However…every once in a while, Valkorion seems to go elsewhere. Whether he’s busy torturing someone else, he’s sleeping, he’s bored, or he’s simply giving her a bit of mercy, she doesn’t know. This time, she instinctively knows that he’s dormant, so she approaches Lana and touches her shoulder. “Please help me.”

Lana pulls Viri into her lap and holds her, just as Viri did to her on Yavin. She hugs Lana close until a groundquake, and Valkorion’s sinister laugh, shake her into another nightmare. She’s falling into the core of Makeb, feeling her skin burn as she gets closer and closer to the radioactive center of the planet, and all she can do is scream. 

* 

**Lana**

Viri’s apartment in Kaas City can be accessed one of two ways: seven biometric scans, or seven access codes with different ciphers. The outer and inner doors are each constructed of several meters of cortosis and durasteel, with a deadly-looking web of lasers between them. The Empire’s Wrath didn’t stay on Dromund Kaas all the time, preferring to live on Nar Shaddaa, but when she was in town, she was careful. As Lana types in the last set of codes, she sends a silent thank you to Vette, wherever she is, for providing them.

An Imperial officer stands behind Lana, and nods once the inner door swings open. ”Minister Beniko, as the closest person to the deceased, these personal effects are now your property.” 

”Thank you,” Lana says numbly. Just behind the officer, a team of shipping droids stands at the ready. “Let me walk through once. While I’m doing that, get rid of the food in the kitchen, if there’s still anything there, and anything in the fresher that has an expiration date on it. Otherwise, pack it all up, carefully.” 

Lana has never been to Viri’s home before. They had never had the opportunity to meet in Kaas City, since Darth Marr’s expedition to Wild Space had come so quickly after the destruction of Ziost. But the apartment had been Viri’s last stop, planet-side, before her disappearance. 

There’s a lump in Lana’s throat as she passes through each room. The large apartment is warm, quirky, and very _Viri._ There’s a training room with battered practice dummies. There are lightsaber slashes through the mats on the walls, and Lana smiles, just for a moment, as she envisions Viri leaping through the space. There’s a chamber filled with Rakata and Voss artifacts. Crystals. Holocrons spinning on presentation stands. Lots of blue and gold, Viri’s favored color scheme. There’s a lounge with a sizeable library. Lana downloads every title in the library onto a spare datapad so Viri will have access to them later. 

Viri’s bedroom is the hardest to explore, but Lana smiles when she sees the closet, filled with clothes, boots and accessories. Half-used palettes of eye makeup still sit on a vanity near the fresher. A clutch of holo-portraits is still flickering merrily away on her dresser, and Lana looks through them carefully. There are several of Viri’s parents. There are images of young Viri hugging sleen, jaggalors and other large beasts, which Lana imagines must be some of the animals she cared for at the Coronet Zoo. There’s one of an older woman who must be Viri’s grandmother, holding a toddler Viri in her arms. Here’s adolescent Viri in an Intermediate School uniform, arm in arm with several other girls and boys. Viri and Vette, laughing together. Viri and the rest of her team. 

There aren’t any images of her, Lana notes, and it stings more than she'd expected. She doesn’t think she can blame Viri; with things in such a precarious position, perhaps she hadn’t wanted any reminders. Lana gently deactivates each holo-portrait and places it into a box, watching Viri’s face disappear again and again. 

Lana ambles over to Viri’s bed and spots another holo-portrait on the bedside table. Her breath catches and tears form in her eyes as she realizes it’s the image of herself and Viri watching the fireworks on Yavin. There is a dried Rishi flower next to it.

 _She did have a picture of me. It wasn’t on the dresser because it was here. Closer to her. Oh, Viri._ She slowly picks up the holo, deactivates it and puts it in her pocket. 

Viri’s bed still carries a faint trace of sandalwood. Lana puts her head on the sheets for a long moment, soaking it in, and picks up one of the pillows to take with her. 

“Minister Beniko, there’s a question about this sector. Would you please come and have a look?” A droid stands in the doorway. Lana follows it into a room that was obviously a greenhouse. Without anyone to water or care for them, the plants have all died, and are rotting away in their pots. 

”Discard the dead plants and any other organic matter you find,” Lana says grimly, pacing through the room. 

The droids do their work efficiently, and when Viri’s apartment is finally packed up, Lana is the last one to leave. She lingers in the doorway for a long moment, looking at the empty space, before turning off the light. The box of holo-portraits is in her arms; she fully intends to give them to Viri if – no, _when_ \- they meet again. 

“Query: Are we leaving now, Master?” 

“Not quite yet, HK,” Lana says. “Give me a moment.” The Empire is running out of Sith, and in the interests of keeping her alive, she’s been assigned a highly intelligent droid, HK-55, for a bodyguard. “Do me a favor and wait here. There’s something I need to do. Cover me and watch the exits.” 

”As you wish,” HK-55 says, drawing his rifle and training his sensors on the door. 

Lana walks back into Viri’s bedroom and looks at the bare walls. Viri is not in this space anymore; Lana can’t feel her at all here. All the same, Lana finds herself closing her eyes and silently talking to Viri; trying to reach her through the pain of their bond.

“I don’t know where you are, but I know you’re somewhere,” Lana begins, speaking in Sith. “This galaxy is not vast enough to keep me from you. Whoever has you, where ever you are hidden right now, I will find you. I promise you that, Viri. I love you.” 

As she opens her eyes again, a faint shape on the window catches her attention. It’s a handprint, an old one, from someone who had put their hand against the glass. It’s undeniably Viri’s, from the size. Lana takes off her glove and puts her own hand over it. 

“Be strong, my love. I’m on my way.” Lana takes a shaky breath and walks back to the apartment’s front door. 

”Query: _Now_ are we leaving?” 

”Yes, HK. There’s nothing left here for us.” Lana says quietly. Her own apartment has already been sold and her belongings are in storage. The few things she’s taking with her have already been loaded onto her shuttle. 

As her shuttle rises from the landing pad outside Viri’s apartment, Lana looks out over the Kaas City skyline one more time. When she is parsecs away from Dromund Kaas, a queued email will arrive at the Citadel, announcing Minister Beniko’s resignation. There will be no opportunity for anyone to find her; to try to change her mind. 

There’s a sense of finality; and the magnitude of her departure weighs heavily on her. However, Viri is somewhere out in the galaxy, waiting to be found. Viri might rescue the galaxy; if Lana is honest with herself, Viri might rescue _her._ And Lana is willing to leave everything behind in order to make it so.


	29. Protection

**3636**

**Lana**

_Nar Shaddaa_

The mood around the public Holonet projector is grim as the Imperial expats watch the special emergency broadcast from the Imperial News Service.

“As Sith Empress, I have a vested responsibility to keep the Empire and its citizens safe. For that reason, we have decided to surrender to the Eternal Empire.” Empress Acina stoically looks straight at the Holonet camera as she speaks. 

There are sobs from the people around Lana, and she balls her hands into fists and suppresses an urge to scream. Realistically, she knows that Acina is doing all she can do. The Imperial navy has been decimated; the ranks of Sith and Imperial officers have been nearly annihilated, and the Eternal Empire’s technology outstrips the Imperial’s best hardware. The members of the Dark Council have all either vanished or died, with the exceptions of Darth Acina and Darth Vowrawn, and their resources and troops have been almost entirely depleted. There is no path to victory. All the same, hearing the Sith Empress surrender is a bitter pill. 

”…it is unlikely that you, as an Imperial citizen, will see much difference in your daily life,” Acina says, selling the lie as best she can. “Emperor Arcann has assured me that he will not be invading Imperial worlds. We will be still operating independently, with…oversight…from Zakuul.” 

Lana walks away as Acina makes a few more remarks, asking Imperials to cooperate with the Eternal Empire’s representatives as best they can. The crowd has erupted into angry chatter. 

”…at least it’s not the Republic. They’re being crushed, too.” 

”It could be worse.” 

”Or not.”

”My grandson was at Korriban. He was slaughtered by these monsters.” 

Lana sighs and pulls her cloak tightly across her shoulders as she walks through the promenade. Nar Shaddaa. For the life of her, she cannot imagine why Viri loved this moon enough to have a home here. It’s polluted. The sky is fixed in the image of eternal night. Everywhere Lana turns she sees excess and waste. People passed out in the gutters, lost in the haze of adrenals and other mind-altering substances. A garish statue of a Hutt holding court in the center of the Promenade. 

Yet, even with the war there’s a sense of freedom, of being outside both the Empire and Republic, and Lana can see why that would be alluring to someone like Viri. The dance clubs and music venues Viri loves are packed until dawn; the crowds spill out in the streets sweaty and exhilarated. 

Lana has given up her Sith armor for a more understated set of black robes; it seems as though most Sith on the moon have done similarly. Her hair is concealed under a hat, and her eyes are downcast as she walks through the streets. It’s very different from Dromund Kaas or Ziost before the destruction, where Sith walked proudly, their heads held high, but she finds she doesn’t mind all that much. 

Maybe that’s why Viri loved it here, Lana muses. She would have been able to blend in. Nobody would have given her a second thought, unlike Dromund Kaas, where people probably backed away or bowed when they saw her coming. 

Lana smiles as she sees the small, warmly lit shop at the corner of the street. She’s never had much of a sweet tooth, but to honor Viri, she’s been buying food from the Corellian Bake Shop for months. They’ve named a chocolate-chocolate chip cookie after Viri, and Lana’s developed a taste for it. 

As she walks away from the bake shop with her bag of cookies, her datapad beeps with an incoming message. Lana checks it quickly. It’s a far cry from her advisor and Sith Intelligence days, when her datapad beeped almost nonstop from dawn to dusk and she found herself wading through hundreds of emails every single day. 

_Apologies for the late reply, Lana. We’ve been away from Nar Shaddaa for several months. My sanctuary is now open again. Please feel free to come and see me at any time. Coordinates below. – Somminick Timmns_

Lana exhales with relief. She’d contacted Timmns as soon as she’d arrived in Nar Shaddaa, months ago, but he had never answered her email. She takes note of the coordinates and heads for Timmns’ sanctuary. 

****

**Viri**

The Eternal Throne Room. Viri winces as she finds herself standing on the edge of the dais, looking at her would-be executioner, Valkorion’s son, Arcann. He’s sitting on the throne, glaring down at two individuals who have been brought before him. Pure hatred bubbles up in Viri as she stares at the current Emperor of Zakuul, and she finds her hands inching toward her lightsaber. She stops and gasps as she notices who, exactly, is standing before the throne. 

_Darth Vowrawn._ Viri involuntarily starts to call to him, and then stops herself. 

”Darth Vowrawn. Your champion in the Dark Council.” Valkorion tuts, looking scornfully at Vowrawn. “He was useful for a time, I suppose. He helped you keep the false Voice out of power. As though I ever would have chosen _Baras_ as one of my representatives. He wasn’t worthy of even saying my name.” 

Viri says nothing. She’s found that the tactic she had employed with both Arcann and Valkorion – to remain completely silent – is serving her well in her new nightmare-scape. It needles Valkorion, and that alone is worth it.

She watches quietly as Vowrawn and an unknown man kneel before Arcann.

“Your Empire has failed, Wrath,” Valkorion intones. “You were not its champion after all.” 

Viri chews the inside of her cheek to avoid answering. 

”Your silence is most juvenile, Wrath.” 

Viri chews her cheek harder, tasting blood. _He will not bait me._

Arcann’s sister paces restlessly as Vowrawn and the other man are escorted out of the throne room by several knights. As she passes in front of Viri, she stops and looks her right in the eyes. 

_She sees me._

”Vaylin was always my favorite child. And my most powerful,” Valkorion chuckles. “Interesting, she’s not telling Arcann that she sees you.”

“Vaylin?” Viri says. “Can you hear me?” 

Vaylin’s eyes narrow, and she turns away. 

”She won’t help you, Wrath,” Valkorion chuckles. “I’d abandon that notion immediately. Nobody cares about you. Nobody has anything to do with you, unless they can get something from you. I’m the only one who wants to help you.” 

_Liar._ Viri thinks it; she does not articulate it. But in the bottom of her mind, she wonders if Valkorion has a point. She has no idea how long she’s been in carbonite, but the fact remains…she still is.

**Lana**

Somminick Timmns’s sanctuary for Force users is hidden on a side street in the Duros Sector. The neon sign above the door, in elaborate Huttese script, indicates that the property is a private men’s club. When she rings the bell, an apprehensive young man answers the door with his lightsaber drawn. 

”Er…can we help you, Sith?” 

”There’s no need for that, I’m not here to fight you,” Lana says wearily. “Master Timmns knows me. Lana Beniko. He’s expecting me. Can you tell him I’m here?” 

“Forgive my student,” Timmns says, appearing in the doorway. “Please come in.” 

”Thank you,” Lana says. “This is HK-55. He won’t hurt anyone here. HK, this is Somminick Timmns.” 

”Understood, Lana. Nice to meet you, HK. Follow me.” 

Lana follows Timmns silently down the hallway. She cannot help but notice that he appears far more haggard than he was in Yavin, there are some new scars on his face, and one of his arms has been replaced by a cybernetic limb. 

”The Eternal Empire?” Lana asks, nodding toward his arm. 

”Yes,” Timmns says. “We were sent to Ord Mantell. The Jedi were no match for the Knights of Zakuul. I am grateful that some of us escaped with our lives.” 

”You suffered heavy casualties, then?” 

”Yes,” Timmns says, keeping his eyes on the carpet. “If you remember Kelso, from Yavin, he was among them. Out of the fifty who accompanied me to Ord Mantell, fifteen of us returned.” 

”My condolences, Master Timmns. That could not have been easy.” 

”Please, Somminick,” he tells her. “We can be on a first-name basis. I’d prefer it, in fact.”

“So you were recalled to Nar Shaddaa?” Lana asks. 

”No,” Somminick says, as he walks with Lana into the elevator. “I took my group and left. We were not going to defeat them, the planet had been evacuated already so there was nobody left to protect, and I was not going to see the rest of my students slaughtered in a hopeless battle. Grand Master Shan finally agreed and allowed us to leave, so we will not officially be seen as deserters. But I made it clear that I didn’t care if she agreed or not, we were leaving either way. ” 

”I see,” Lana says. “And the Republic still has not surrendered?” 

Somminck shakes his head. “They did, finally, but not without great difficulty. Saresh refused to negotiate. She apparently wanted to continue fighting until every last Republic soldier and Jedi was dead. Several senators overrode her wishes and facilitated a treaty with Zakuul, once they heard that the Empire had capitulated.” 

The doors of the elevator open and Somminick and Lana step into a comfortable, warm sitting room. “We will need to talk extensively, Lana. First, though, do you want to see Viri’s fountain?” 

Lana nods. “I’d like that.” 

“I thought you might. Follow me.” Somminick leads Lana down the hallway and opens a set of doors to reveal a large, welcoming space. Palm trees line the edges of a deep pool with a waterfall, and several students sit on carpets in front of it, meditating. Lana cannot help but notice that most of them have visible injuries or fresh cybernetics, like Somminick. 

There’s a small plaque and a holo image on the side of the room, near the rocks, and Lana ambles over to read it. As she’d expected, it’s a photo of Viri. 

_In memory of Viridana “Viri” Revarre Dragoi_

_Friendship is not about your faction; your faith; or your alignment. It is about action. Let us see the humanity and potential to connect in all we see, and meet others on their own terms, not ours._

Lana finds that her throat has gone dry. All she can do is run her fingers gently over the letters on the plaque, tracing Viri’s name again and again. 

”Students, sorry to disturb your practice, but I need privacy here for a while,” Timmns says, touching them gently on the shoulders to rouse them from their meditations. Once they have all silently filed out, Timmns turns back to Lana. “This space is yours for as long as you need it. I’ll be in the garden whenever you’re ready to talk. Go down to the fifth floor, then follow the signs. I’ll let my students all know that you are a friend so you don’t get any more lightsabers drawn on you. Maeli survived Ord Mantell; you might see her around. HK, why don’t you wait for Lana in the other room?” 

”Thank you,” Lana says faintly. “HK, it’s all right. You can cover me outside the doors.” Timms nods to her and leaves with HK, closing the doors behind him. 

Alone in the room, Lana takes off her gloves and dips her fingers in the water. Viri would love it here, she knows. She’d meditate, she’d admire the décor, and yes, she’d jump in the fountain. She’d…do any number of things, but she can’t, because she’s missing. 

”Damn you, Viri,” Lana whispers, glaring at Viri’s holographic image. She is surprised by the venom behind her own words, but finds she cannot stop talking. “You just had to go on Marr’s flagship, didn’t you? Had to play hero. Couldn’t get out of there with your crew. Damn you, you brat, you insufferable, impossible…! Fucking Darth Marr, he didn’t just take you away from me once, but twice, if he wasn’t dead I think I’d murder him myself…” Lana’s voice catches on a sob, and she covers her face with her hands as she sinks to the ground. 

_Meditate, Beniko. Channel it. No time to cry. Not now._

Lana settles into a meditation stance and closes her eyes, trying to sort out the emotions swirling through her mind. Anger. Yes, lots of it, and it’s directed toward both Darth Marr and Viri. Hatred. That one’s just for Darth Marr. Love. That one’s just for Viri, of course. Grief. Much, much grief, and it’s not just for Viri, but for herself. 

_I keep dying in different ways, don’t I?_ The realization makes Lana open her eyes in surprise for a moment. 

She’d built a life, and a pretty damn good one, as an advisor. It had been smashed to pieces by Darth Arkous’s subterfuge with the Revanites. She’d begun to build another, as…a lover? Maybe a partner or spouse, eventually? She doesn’t even know…with Viri, and that too had come crashing down, courtesy of Darth Marr. And now the third, with Sith Intelligence, is also over, thanks to the Eternal Empire. 

_The paradigm keeps shifting._ Lana exhales and slides deeper into her meditation. She envisions herself walking through a field of ashes. She is Sith. She is a woman. She loves another woman. But beyond that, for the first time in her life, she does not know who she is, or what she wants. 

_Defeating the Eternal Empire, of course!_

_No. What do you want?_

_To be happy._

_What would make you happy?_

_Being myself. Using my talents. Learning. Having friends again. Having Viri._

_Your happiness does not depend on anyone else, Lana. Not even Viri._

_We have a Force bond. It’s not quite so simple. Our fates are intertwined._

Lana opens her eyes and stares at the holo of Viri for a long moment. The bond is gnawing at her, as usual. No matter how much she tries, she cannot ignore it. She closes her eyes again and uses the ache as a lifeline, pulling at it to see if it can lead her to Viri. 

**Viri**

Oricon. Orange skies and angry spitting pools of lava underfoot. Everyone around her has gone mad, including her entire crew, Lana Beniko, Theron Shan and her parents. There are troopers trapped in the escape pods, and she can hear them pounding on the hatches, but she can’t open them. 

“One foot in front of the other,” Viri tells herself. _Keep walking. Keep fighting. This can’t last forever…can it?_

”I could help you,” Valkorion’s voice echoes in her ears. “I’m the only help you have. Everyone else has forgotten you.” 

“You know what he’s doing,” Viri mutters. “Don’t fall for it, Viridana. You killed the Dread Masters. This is all a nightmare. It isn’t real. It’s not real. It’s not…” Viri gasps as the scene shifts again and again, and her crew dies right in front of her.

“Your crew was nothing without you,” Valkorion tuts. “They’re probably all dead or enslaved by now…” 

”Viri!” Viri stops short at the sound of the voice. Lana is standing on a rock on the other side of a river of lava, dressed in black. Her Force signature is unmistakable.

“Lana!” Viri runs toward her. She stops short at the edge of the lava. _Wait up, it’s a dream. I can walk through this._ Viri steps into the lava, and screams as it burns through her armor. 

“This is no dream,” Valkorion chuckles. “Of course it can hurt you. _I_ can hurt you. Remember that.” 

”Viri, who is that?” Lana yells. “Where are you? The Eternal Empire! Did they do this?”

”Yes!” Viri shouts back to her. “Arcann did this to me! I’m fr---“

”Oh no, you don’t,” Valkorion says gleefully, and sends a wave of lava flying at Lana. “Go away, little Sith.” When Viri looks again, the rocks are empty.

”Damn you, Valkorion.” Viri mutters under her breath. 

”Your friend will not save you,” Valkorion tells her. “Not yet, if I have anything to do with it.” 

**Lana**

When Lana opens her eyes, she is bathed in sweat. She can still smell the sulphuric odor of the volcanic ash of Oricon and hear Viri’s scream.

 _Something…someone…is holding her there._ She rises from her meditation pose and paces around the fountain. Even the gentle trickling of the waterfall cannot calm her. _Every time I ask her where she is, or what happened to her, I get pushed away by that malevolent entity, whoever he is. But she did confirm that the Eternal Empire – Arcann- are responsible for her current state._

Lana brushes tears away from her eyes and leaves the meditation sanctuary, looking for Timmns. 

* 

Timmns raises an eyebrow when he sees Lana approach. “I sense that your time in our meditation sanctuary was not entirely pleasant.” 

”It was not,” Lana confirms, and quickly amends her words as she accepts the offered cup of tea. “The sanctuary itself is beautiful, and I think Viri would be extremely pleased and flattered by it. I also think she’d dive into that pool, just as you said.” 

“That, she would.” Somminick chuckles. He pauses and looks carefully at Lana. “I hope she will see it someday. I did not want to communicate this over a holo channel or in an email, but now that you are here in person, there is something I need to tell you. I did not feel Viri die. There were many deaths on that terrible day, but hers was not among them. I feel very strongly that she is alive, but perhaps is being held somewhere against her will.” 

“I didn’t feel her die either,” Lana admits, exhaling with relief. “Neither did Jaesa or any of the Force sensitives on Darth Nox’s crew.” 

”I thought that might have been the case, at least for you and Jaesa,” Somminck says. “What became of them?”

Lana frowns. “Pierce has returned to the Imperial military. Vette was here on Nar Shaddaa, at least at first. She closed up Viri’s home and vanished. Broonmark and Treek…from Vette’s last email to me, they both disappeared. And Jaesa was at Viri’s memorial in Kaas City, but has also vanished. I can’t say I blame any of them. Vette was worried about anyone with a vendetta against Viri, and I would imagine Jaesa was concerned that she’d be forced to work with another Sith.” 

“They were a tight crew,” Somminick says. “What a shame. What of Darth Nox’s people? Did they survive?”

”Moff Pyron and his crew were killed in action during the assault. The rest of them made it to the escape pods. Last I heard, Ashara and Xalek were here on Nar Shaddaa with Vette, but I don’t think that is the case now. Talos went back to the Reclamation Service. According to Ashara, Khem Val disappeared. And Andronikos…I think he went back to being a pirate, in all honesty. I keep thinking I’ll cross paths with him here." 

”You might,” Somminick smiles. “I am a little concerned about Khem Val’s disappearance, however. I would not want to be anywhere around that Dashade without Nox to control him and direct his fury.” 

”He was very devoted to Nox, but I tend to agree with you,” Lana says. “Without her, he’s dangerous. I sincerely hope he’s found his way to the occupied areas and has been feasting on those Knights of Zakuul.” 

“It might not be the Jedi way to say it, but if he wants to devour the Knights of Zakuul, I’ll cheer him on,” Somminick says with a laugh. “But back to Viri. She’s alive…somewhere. I would bet anything that she was somehow involved with the death of their so-called ‘immortal Emperor.’”

”As would I,” Lana says. “They claim that this occupation is in retaliation for the ‘Outlander’ who killed their Emperor. But they were attacking both Imperial and Republic targets well before that. Darth Marr died before the Emperor did; I felt that. I felt Nox die almost a day before that. There are several Sith who were never found, but among them, Viri was the Wrath. She was the one who would have had the ability to actually kill him.” 

”Agreed on all points,” Somminick says. “She killed the Emperor but was injured herself, and they got her. But didn’t kill her, for some reason. That's my best guess.” 

”Spoil of war, perhaps,” Lana says. “The Empire’s done that themselves. But then the question becomes, where is she?” 

”That is the pressing question,” Somminick agrees. 

”In the Empire or Republic, I’d at least have an idea of where to look,” Lana says. "Belsavis. Some of the other prisons. But in the Eternal Empire…I’m at a loss.”

”You’ll need to ask the right people,” Somminick says. “I don’t know how much you will be able to learn here on Nar Shaddaa.” 

”The next question then becomes, how to get to Wild Space,” Lana says, “And the cover to use once I’m there.” 

“I might be able to help you,” Somminick says, sitting up in his chair. “Any chance you’d want to work for a Jedi?” 

Lana frowns. “Though we might be friends, I cannot betray the Empire, Somminck.” 

”I didn’t say work for the _Republic._ I said, work for a _Jedi_ who happens to deal in protection.” 

Lana blinks. _"You?"_

Somminick smiles. “How do you think we afford to stay here on Nar Shaddaa? My Jedi work as bodyguards. We travel with ships in need of a little extra muscle. Until Grand Master Shan called us to Ord Mantell, that’s what we’d been doing.” 

”The crime syndicates? The Hutts?” 

Sommnick shrugs. “Nothing so elaborate. Mostly independent entrepreneurs; business people who just want to get their cargo from point Aurek to Besh without trouble. Cargo for GSI and some of Hyland’s ventures. Hyland is officially neutral, and that is the stance we take, too. Although, with the Eternal Empire being what it is, we’re not going to help them in any way.”

“And how do you find your clients?” Lana asks, intrigued. 

”We work with a few, shall we call them, talent scouts. I’ll introduce you to them. A fellow named K’Khrol brings a lot of our clients in. Addalar Hyland likes our work, as well, and he calls on us frequently. Ever hear of T.H.O.R.N.? Hyland’s people. They go into areas with rakghoul plague outbreaks and help, regardless if it’s Imperial or Republic territory. We’ve helped with that, as well. And…if there is something we can quietly do to stand against Zakuul, we do it. We got several of the young Sith out of Korriban when Zakuul invaded. They’re scattered across Nar Shaddaa now.” 

”I see,” Lana sips her tea. “It appears we have a common enemy and could both benefit from this.”

”Indeed, we do.” Somminick looks reflectively into his teacup. “If it were not for the young ones here, I would join you full-out on your own quest, Lana. I want Viri to be found. But these students trust me to watch over them, I care deeply for them, and I will not see them turned over to a Jedi Order that will not understand them or support their explorations. Here on Nar Shaddaa, they’ve had the freedom to discover themselves, their emotions, their sexuality, and the families that were taken from them. I welcome any Force user who wants to join us, and I do not direct them toward the Jedi or Sith. We even had someone from the Order of Shasa here, believe it or not.” 

”What you’re doing is most admirable, Sommick,” Lana says. “I value my code highly. But I also think there’s more than one way to interpret it, and that we would all benefit from an expanded perspective. I know I do.” 

”I appreciate that, Lana. I agree. I think that meeting Viri, and you, and the other Sith who were in Yavin, has taught me more than decades listening to the Jedi Council argue amongst itself. I hope we will all get to talk together again. In the meantime, I will do what I can from here, and will let you know when and if I hear anything.” 

”I thank you, Somminick,” Lana says. “I will take you up on your offer, so perhaps we will get to chat again soon, after all.” 

”Good,” Sominick says. “I was hoping you would. Now, more than ever, we need you. At the moment, we are healing. Every one of my young ones who survived suffered serious injuries. Many lost a hand or arm, and are still adjusting to their cybernetics. They need space to recover. But we also need to continue our business. Having you to take on some of the tasks will help give them that space to heal, and it will give you a chance to find some information. And if an opportunity comes to protect someone on a journey into Wild Space, into Zakuul’s Empire…well, it’s not as though you’re invading; you’re just a bodyguard doing her job.” 

“Agreed.” Lana sips her tea. In the Empire, she would have scoffed at such a job; would have been leery of working with a Jedi. But once again, the old paradigm has shifted.

**3635**

“That’s the price.” Maeli Bex folds her hands on the table. “Two million credits, one million of which need to be paid to your enforcer when you arrive. If you kill her, you and your ship explode. If she dies in the course of her duties, you pay another million in damages back to us. Once you land safely at your final destination, and all fees are paid, you can negotiate with her if you’d like to continue using her services.” 

”That’s highway robbery!” the man shouts, pounding his fists on the table. “Are you serious?” 

Maeli shrugs. “You’re paying for a Force user. We don’t come cheap. Call it hazard pay and extra reassurance that our talent will not be harmed. You’re not a normal customer. You and several of your crew members are fugitives from Zakkul, and you’re asking for someone to accompany you through Wild Space. The alternative is that we call the Knights and collect a reward for turning you in, Mr. Vortena.“

”I’m a captain, damn it!” 

”I couldn’t care less about your military affiliation,” Maeli says. “Especially since it’s from the Eternal Empire. I’ve given you our offer. Take it or leave it.” 

”All right. All right. We’ll get the money. But you people are cold.” 

”No colder than your Eternal Empire, which is subjugating our worlds.” Maeli does not blink. 

”Look. You’ll get no disagreement from me there. That’s why I’m fleeing.” 

”Point in your favor. But the fees still stand.” 

”I get that. Who are you going to assign me? Are they any good?” 

”One of our specialists has been needing a lift into Wild Space. She’s a Sith Lord, so you’ll be in good hands.” 

”I don’t think I know what that is,” the man blinks. 

”Think of one of your Knights. Now make her meaner, stronger and far more intelligent, and you’ve got a Sith.” 

”Understood.” The man taps a few buttons on his datapad and transfers the credits. “Look. You’ve got the whole fee there. Can we go now?”

”Get your crew together. Your bodyguard will meet you at the hangar in an hour.” Maeli says, and turns away. 

* 

”May the Force serve you well, Lana.” Somminck says, shaking hands with her. “It’s been a pleasure. And of course, as long as we are here, we will help you however we can.” 

”Thank you, Somminick. I wish you the best. You’ve truly helped immensely this year.” 

”Damn it, I wish you weren’t going, Sith,” Maeli says, and shakes her hand. “And I wish you weren’t taken. Now that you’re leaving, I can tell you: you’re hot.” 

”Maeli!” Somminick says. 

”I’m very flattered, Maeli,” Lana says. “You’ve really grown in the dark and light sides of the Force, and you’re very strong. And…I’m sure you’ll find a girlfriend. I’m not it, but I certainly wish you luck with that.” 

“Even when she shoots you down, she’s perfect,” Maeli mutters, walking away. “Good luck, Lana. May the Force serve you well. I hope you find _your_ girl. And HK, I’ll miss you too.” 

”Statement: I will miss your charm, Maeli,” HK-55 tells her. 

Lana says the rest of her goodbyes, squares her shoulders, grabs her bags and walks into the hangar. 

* 

A small cluster of men and women is huddled by the hatch to a modest starship. Lana involuntarily wrinkles her nose as she approaches; there’s a pungent stench of body odor in the air. As she draws closer, however, her face falls into its usual neutral, unreadable expression. 

”Well, hello there,” a tall man says, stepping forward. “It’s a pleasure to have you along. I’m Koth Vortena, captain of this ship and the one who hired you. I’m sure Maeli has briefed you on my background.” 

”She has,” Lana says, her voice brisk and businesslike. “Lana Beniko. I’ll be your bodyguard for this trip. I understand we’re going to Vandin?” 

“Correct.” 

”Good,” Lana says, and walks toward the ship. “We can leave whenever you’re ready.” 

”Hold up,” Koth says, staring at HK-55. As usual, the droid is a silent, vigilant shadow behind Lana. “Is that thing coming too?” 

”My droid is non-negotiable. He accompanies me, or I do not accompany you. Make your choice.” 

”I hate droids,” Koth mutters. “Fine. Seems like you have us by the nose here.” 

Lana shrugs. 

”I’ll show you to your quarters,” one of Koth’s crew members says quickly. “Len Parvek.” 

“Excellent. Lead the way, Len.” 

As Lana and HK-55 disappear into the ship, Koth stares after her. He hadn’t expected that his bodyguard for this trip would be warm and fuzzy, but Lana’s complete iciness is a surprise to him. She’s not bad looking, he realizes. In fact, she’s lovely. He shakes his head and barks orders to the rest of his crew.

* 

Lana arranges her bags in the corner of her new quarters. One of the stipulations of her bodyguard service is that she will always have a private cabin with a lock on the door. She clears a space for HK-55 – as a droid he doesn’t need to sleep or rest, but she always saves him a chair, anyway – and arranges her files on the small desk. 

The sixteen months Lana has spent with Timmns’ protection service has helped her cultivate a long list of contacts, both on and off Nar Shadda. She’s been able to quietly travel to many worlds that were conquered by the Eternal Empire, and she’s been able to assess the damage firsthand. What she has not been able to learn, operating within the known galaxy, has been Viri’s fate. 

Lana opens her datapad to the file on Vandin. Operating on her own, she’s compiled reconnaissance reports on as many Wild Space planets as she can, doing work with enough detail to make any Sith Intelligence analyst jealous. Vandin. Gas giant. Many organized crime lords operating from the small port city above the planet. Some refugees from the Core Worlds. Lana puts her hands on her chin and contemplates the possibilities. 

A knock on her door startles her. “Who is it?” 

”The captain. Koth.” 

Lana frowns. It’s her job to interact with the person she’s protecting; to get a sense of their habits and personality so she can best guard them. Still, she can’t contain her annoyance, since she would rather spend her time studying her files and parsing through her list of clues. 

”Come in.” 

”Hey,” Koth says, giving her a smile. “Glad you’re along for the ride.” 

Lana smiles back and shrugs. “It’s my job, really.” 

“I know, but it’s still nice to meet you.” His eyes travel across the desk, and all the datapads and notes spread across it. “You already doing some work?” 

”Yes, my own personal project.” 

”Who’s this?” Koth asks. He’s picked up the holo portrait of Lana with Viri that Lana has placed by her bed.

”My girlfriend,” Lana says, taking it back from him. 

”Oh,” Koth says. She feels disappointment radiating from every pore in his body. “Is that solid?”

”Very,” Lana tells him. “Non-negotiable.” 

”But she’s not with you.” 

”She has her work to do and I have mine,” Lana says. “Now, was there anything you needed? I was told it would be a good week in this ship before we reached Vandin.” 

“That’s true. I, um, just wanted to welcome you to the ship. We usually eat around 1900 if you’d like to join us.” 

”I will,” Lana says. “Thank you.” 

As the door closes, Lana exhales. Most of the crew is Zakuulan. It’s not a bad thing that they want to talk to her. There’s information to be gleaned. 

*  
Dinner in the ship’s canteen is less taxing than Lana had feared, despite Koth’s repeated attempts to flirt with her. Lana politely shoots him down again and again and pointedly avoid answering questions about Viri. 

”Look. I’m in a committed relationship,” Lana finally says. “You will need to respect that and stop flirting with me. I am not required to answer questions about my personal life.” 

”Point taken,” Koth says quietly. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” 

”You did. Please do not do it again, or we will be turning this ship around and returning to Nar Shaddaa.” 

“Yeah, leave the lady alone,” Len says. 

“So. Before we got derailed, you were telling me about your work in the Navy. You were saying that the war efforts stepped up after the death of the Emperor?” Lana says, trying to find a way to steer the conversation toward Viri’s disappearance and away from awkward territory. 

”Yes,” Koth says. “We were attacking before, mind you. Arcann used Valkorion’s death as an excuse, but he was certainly on the offensive before that. It was a convenient coincidence.” 

”Was the Outlander executed?” 

Koth laughs. “I forget you don’t know Arcann. That’s not his style. Yes, she was executed. More or less. And then hung on a wall somewhere.” 

”He likes trophies,” Len says, “He was always asking us to bring special items back from the places we invaded. Weapons, flags, statues, cultural monuments…if there was something important to the people, he’d have us take it.” 

”So he took a trophy from the Outlander?” Lana asks, feeling sick. 

”Nah,” Koth says. “She _was_ the trophy. He freezes people in carbonite and hangs them up. It’s sick, really. But in this case, she deserved it.” 

”Excuse me?” Lana says. 

”That _filth_ executed our Immortal Emperor. Of course she should have been punished,” Koth says. 

”I see,” Lana says quietly. “And yet you are currently fleeing the Eternal Empire.” 

”Arcann is nothing like his father,” Koth says, scowling. “Neither is Vaylin. Valkorion never would have taken over everything this way.” 

”And yet, Arcann and his brother started invading planets before Valkorion was assassinated,” Lana retorts, her eyes flashing. “They destroyed Korriban. That’s the seat of my order. Or, it was. A generation of Sith and their instructors, all dead.” 

”I’m with Spooky Eyes on this,” a woman with bright blue hair says. “Hey. Tora. I’m from Nar Shaddaa. Koth, your precious Immortal Emperor sent his kids out to plunder our worlds. He wasn't sunshine and rainbows.” 

”Bullshit.” Koth slams his fists into the table and stalks out of the room. The crew silently ambles back to their stations, and Lana storms back to her room.

*

Almost nothing Lana knows well remains, and her Empire is ashes, but one facet of her routine never changes: she still meditates on Viri every single day.

There are two visions that often arise in the meditations. In one, Viri’s trapped in a black room, sprawled out on the floor, sleeping. In the other, she sees Viri running across burned-out, destroyed terrain. It is always night. It is always cold. Viri just keeps running through the stark landscape, past torn Imperial banners and dead bodies strewn along the sides of the road, her lightsaber clutched in one hand. 

Every now and then she’s able to actually reach Viri. By now, Lana is used to the decaying feeling in her stomach when she enters Viri’s dream- or rather, nightmare – scape. In a way, it’s a relief; she is able to discern that she’s actually connecting with Viri. That regardless of where she is, Viri is still alive in her carbonite prison. 

Two things always remain the same: Viri never smiles. Where ever she is, there’s no happiness there. And if Lana tries to ask Viri where she is, she’s shoved out of the vision.

Lana exhales and shifts as she slips deeper into her meditation in her cabin on Koth's ship. Her stomach is burning, and she knows it means that Viri is on the same plane with her; that there’s a chance they might speak. However, she finds herself alone on a dark, empty road. 

“I won’t ask where she is,” Lana says, speaking to the evil entity she can sense nearby. “Is that all right? Can I just see her? Please?” 

Laughter. “See her all you want, Sith.” The scene before Lana dissolves, and she finds herself in a bombed-out cave. Viri is curled up in a ball in the rubble. 

”Viri?” When she hears her name, Viri covers her ears with her hands. 

”Go away. I won’t fall for it.”

”Viri, it’s me,” Lana says, kneeling down next to her. She feels Viri tentatively turn to her, fixing her with one blue eye. The other is swollen shut. 

”Oh, Viri. Come here.” She’s never touched Viri in her visions, but she knows she needs to try. Viri sits up and stares at her. 

”Lana?” her voice is choked with tears. “Why are you here?” 

”I wanted to check on you,” Lana says, running one hand down her grimy face. “I’m looking for you, Viri. I am. As hard as I can.” 

”Find me,” Viri whispers, and curls up at her side. “Please find me.”

“I’m doing everything I can,” Lana says, holding her close. “I promise I won’t leave you here.” 

”I’m not the Wrath anymore,” Viri says softly. “Every day. Forever. It never stops. I’m so tired, Lana.” 

”I know, love. I know it hurts.” Lana closes her eyes and hugs Viri to her heart. Even in the dreamscape, Lana feels her agony through the bond. “Hang on for me. I’m on my way.” 

Viri says nothing, but buries her face in Lana’s chest and sighs. As Lana holds her, she pushes back the fear that is rising in her gullet. Viri is weaker, sicker, and more defeated than Lana has ever seen her. She cannot stay in carbonite indefinitely, and Lana knows it.

*

 _One Week Later_

”Cargo ship _Tebeltra_ requsting clearance to land,” Lana says, adjusting her course slightly on the navicomputer. 

“Cargo?” 

“Food and water for several local vendors,” Lana says, and pushes a button. “Transmitting shipping manifest.” 

”Clearance granted,” the traffic controller tells her. “Third bay.” 

Lana puts the ship down gently in its assigned bay and walks to the hatch. With the exception of Tora, everyone is clustered in the cargo hold in disguise, in the event that Eternal Empire patrols choose to randomly inspect the vessel. However, there is nobody outside, other than some roaming gangsters. 

“Come on,” Lana says, and summons HK-55 to her side. Her final tasks for Koth Vortena are to drop off the cargo and escort him and his crew to a hideout in the residential sector of the port. 

Lana has studied the maps of the port town extensively, and she knows exactly where to go. When she walks out of the ship, dressed in her own pirate outfit, she walks purposefully toward the first vendor’s stall. Koth and his crew wheel the cargo barrels and crates, and HK-55 brings up the rear. When everything has been delivered, Lana leads them toward the residential sector. 

“Whew,” says Koth, taking off his hat. “Home free, now.” 

”I would keep your hat on,” Lana says. “It’s cold out.” The presence of other Force sensitives nearby is making her skin tingle, and she veers slightly off course, taking Koth and his crew down a side street. 

”The apartment is this way,” Koth argues, turning around and heading back to the main thoroughfare. 

”You need to follow me,” Lana insists. Tora stays by her side, but the others look from Lana to Koth, confused. 

”Why the hell did you hire a bodyguard if you won’t listen to her?” Tora snorts with derision. “It’s not like she has the expertise to keep you from getting killed or anything.” 

”Look, I know Vandin!” Koth explodes. “There’s nobody out tonight, and---“ 

“Koth Vortena? Len Parvek? You’re under arrest.” Three Knights of Zakuul emerge from the nearby storefront. 

”Nope,” Lana replies, and draws her lightsaber. She and HK-55 attack the Knights, dispatching them within minutes. “Now, follow me and _run._ ”

Lana leads the crew down one side street and then another, ducking through shops and climbing onto rooftops. By the time they make it to the residential section, the entire crew is panting, but she’s sure that nobody is following them. 

”I’ve held up my end of the bargain,” Lana says briskly. She checks her datapad to confirm that the rest of the protection fee has been added to her coded account, and nods. “Good luck.” 

”Sure,” Koth says. “But…um…Lana, is it? That was excellent. Any other bodyguard, and I think I’d have been in cuffs and on a shuttle back to Zakuul right now. Would you be interested in continuing?”

Lana stares at him for a long moment. “I can consider it,” she says. “But I am working on my own…project. If you can assist me with that, with no questions asked, I can continue protecting you. But only if you agree to actually listen to me from now on. I’m not going to go to the trouble of working out safe routes for you to blow it all out of the water by ignoring what I tell you to do.” 

”Deal,” Koth says quietly. “I’ll show you where they rent rooms here. You can get one near us, and I’ll give you our holo frequencies.” 

*

The room Lana rents is dingy, with worn furniture, frayed carpets and dirty walls that might have been white at one time. She immediately takes all the sheets off the bed, sprays it down with disinfectant, and then sprays it a second time before putting her own bedding on the mattress. 

”Commentary: This room is unpleasant, Master,” HK-55 says. 

”Indeed it is,” Lana says wearily. “But we’re leaving again in a few days.” All the same, she puts her head in her hands for a long moment. She’s acutely aware that she’s far from home, alone, and still lightyears from her goal. 

_I am a Sith. I will succeed._ Lana repeats the phrase to herself as she drifts off to sleep.


	30. The Search

**3634**

**Lana**

She’s been on the run with Koth and his crew for months, and the search for Viri is going exactly nowhere. Lana’s frustration grows by the day. 

The Knights of Zakuul have been relentless in pursuing Koth, and they’ve had to relocate at least once a week. They’ve hidden out in backwaters all across the Outer Rim and the edges of Wild Space; Lana’s visited planets she didn’t even fathom when she was in the Empire. She feels as though she’s fleeing the Dark Council’s bounty hunters again. 

And now they’re back on their commandeered cargo ship and hurtling through hyperspace again, trying to evade the Eternal Empire’s numerous patrols, and Lana is at the desk in her cabin, trying to make sense of the web of clues she has. When her datapad beeps with an incoming message, she doesn’t even bother checking it at first. None of her contacts have had any new information for her in weeks. 

When she finally does pick up her datapad, however, Lanas’s eyes immediately open wide. It’s from an anonymous sender, and coded in several ciphers she recognizes from her work on the Revanites’ data in Rishi. The text itself is in different code that alternates with every line.

“You came through, Theron,” Lana mutters. “Well done.” 

Lana rubs her head as she decodes and reads the message. According to Theron’s slicing, there are five different carbonite slabs, all listed as the Outlander, in different locations. There’s also a persistent rumor that an ‘Outlander’ is located in Arcann’s treasure vault on Zakuul. A vault that, apparently, is guarded more heavily than the Emperor’s flagship used to be. There’s a contact that can help her on Zakuul, T7-O1, but Theron suggests that she looks elsewhere first. 

”It’s the most obvious place for her to be, and the first place anyone would look,” Lana mutters to herself. “Which might also make it the best place for a decoy. I don’t even _know_ some of these other planets…”

Still, she has some actual locations, and it’s the best lead she’s received. She sends a coded message back to Theron, thanking him. 

* 

“How far are we from Belsavis?” Lana asks, peering at the navicomputer. 

”Eight parsecs,” Tora says. “Why?”

”We need to stop there.” 

”Whoa, whoa,” Koth says. “Why are you taking us to Belsavis?” 

”Is there somewhere else you need to be right now?” Lana asks, raising her eyebrows. 

”No, but it’s an odd choice.”

Lana shrugs. “My deal with you is that I will help you as long as you help me with my project – no questions asked. I need to go to Belsavis to complete some research.” 

”A deal’s a deal,” Koth says, and sets course. 

**Viri**

She’s on Voss. The Voss and Gormak people are gone; instead, she’s confronted with gargantuan, rotting creatures with sharp fangs and claws. She runs to the Temple of Healing; it’s been transformed into the Temple of Death, with blood splashed across the walls and piles of skulls everywhere. Every time she reaches the front entrance of the temple, she finds herself at the back again. 

Viri punches the wall in frustration.

**Lana**

****

**_Belsavis_ **

_Damn it, damn it, damn it._ Lana punches the wall in frustration. 

In order to land on Belsavis, they’ve needed to approximate the code for an Eternal Empire-approved Imperial shuttle. Both Lana and Koth have had to procure elaborate disguises. They’re both dressed as Sith Lords from the local Imperial detachment, with heavy armor and full face masks. 

Zakuul has requisitioned seven units in the Belsavis prison system. Getting through them has required killing countless Knights and other guards, as well as taking out more Skytroopers than Lana can even count. The Zakuulans have left ornery vine beasts to patrol some of the lower levels, too.

And it’s all been for naught. They have discovered close to fifty Esh-ka in stasis, some leftover carbonite prisoners from the Republic, and some Zakuulan rebels in regular holding cells. Viri has not been among them. 

Lana glares at the carbonite victim in front of her. In every prison record that Theron has sliced, it has been recorded as the Outlander. Instead, it’s an older man, and the bio-status light on his carbonite slab is black, indicating that he has already died.

“Not the person you wanted to find, I’m guessing,” Koth says quietly. 

Lana takes a deep breath to center herself. She had to expect this, she tells herself. There are six “Outlanders” out there. Since there’s only one Viri, it stands to reason that five of them will be red herrings. She had a one in six chance of finding the real Outlander on the first try; she tells herself. That’s it. She knew that. No time to be disappointed; just time to move on. 

Lana paces as she continues to channel her rage and think over the situation. With the next stop, the odds will be one in five. That’s better than one in six. She can handle it. 

”Let’s go, Koth,” Lana says. 

* 

”So,” Koth says, once they are back in hyperspace in Koth’s shuttle, headed for a rendezvous with the cargo ship, “You want to tell me why you’re searching for an Eternal Empire prisoner?”

Lana glances over at him. “I’m searching for my girlfriend. She was apprehended by Arcann’s forces. I think she could really help the resistance against him; we just need to find her.” 

Koth shrugs. “Arcann kills dissidents. I doubt she’s alive, if the Knights or Arcann himself got her.” 

”I know for a fact that she is not dead.” Lana stares at Koth. “And I need to find her. I have a list of possible locations…” 

”Hey, I agreed to help you with your project, but I didn’t know it was going to mean traipsing around the galaxy,” Koth says, dismissively. 

”Do you think you’re going to be in one place for a long time?” Lana retorts. “You’re going to need to keep moving, so you _will_ be ‘traipsing around the galaxy’ regardless if you help me. But as I recall, our deal specified there would be no questions asked about my project. If you can’t abide by that, find another bodyguard, and have fun with the Knights.” 

”Fine, fine,” Koth grumbles. “Show me your list. Altair 3. Denon. Oh, I know Denon. We could go there next, if you want. I don’t know these two. The Spire? You’re out of your mind if you think you’re getting into any of the royal buildings. I take that back; Vaylin’s been known to have parties in the palace, but that’s for the Zakuulan socialites. There’s also the vault…” 

”What about the vault?” Lana asks. 

Koth shrugs. “That one’s easier, if you’re there on the right day. You can visit it once a year.” 

”Oh?”

“Open Day. It’s the anniversary of Arcann’s coronation,” Koth tells her. “Big thing. They open Arcann’s private vaults and let the little people see his trophies. I’ve been to it once.” 

”He really shows off all his valuables to the public?” Lana says. 

”Some of them are replicas, I’m sure, because he also has treasures spread around his palace. But it’s not as though anyone could steal from that vault. There’s really no risk to him.” 

”So they do this only once a year, and nobody sees the vault, otherwise?” Lana says, feeling her heart sink. “Can anyone go to Open Day?” 

“Correct.” Koth says. “You need to be a Zakuulan subject to visit the vault, but that’s the only restriction I know of.” 

“I see,” Lana says. “But Arcann’s anniversary just passed. They executed all those people in the Outer Rim to celebrate. So you’re saying it’s out until next year.” 

“I doubt your friend is there, and if she is, she’s probably dead,” Koth says. “You’re better off starting on one of the other locations. Denon would be a good start. I…have a history there and I know the planet well. I’ll fill you in along the way.”

**Viri**

When she had been carrying out her missions on Belsavis, Viri had enjoyed interacting with the Rakatan tombs and temples. Where the Imperial troops had been afraid to try the Rakatan transporters, she’d jumped right in. She’d even acquired a number of disused transporters for her homes. 

In her nightmares, though, Belsavis is just another site for Valkorion to torture her. She finds herself in an endless Rakatan tomb, turning one corner and then another, and never getting anywhere. The transporters burn her skin; the Rakatan mind traps grab her and never let go. 

She is Sith. She is strong. But strength isn’t saving her, and she knows it.

**3633**

**Lana**

”So. That’s three down. We can cross Rattatak off the list,” Lana says, pacing through the bridge of the cargo ship. “And I think we’re going to need to lie low for a while. I wasn’t expecting those Knights to see through your disguise.” 

”I’m just glad we got out of there with everyone in one piece,” says Koth, activating the hyperdrive. “We should probably stay in hyperspace for a while. They’ll be looking for us to land. What in the hell did they have guarding that prison…what were those things?”

”Rancors,” Lana says. “I’ve only seen them on a few planets but they’re popular for protection. And fighting arenas, I’m afraid. It’s not uncommon for Hutts to have them in their palaces; they watch people get torn apart as a form of entertainment.” 

”Sick and wrong,” Len says. “I’m not a fan of the arenas in Zakuul. I never liked that we were supposed to capture beasts for Arcann, and bring them back for fighting. Those animals didn’t deserve that.”

”They’re nasty customers, but no. They don’t deserve to be slaughtered in arenas,” Koth agrees. “I see why they’re used for protection.” 

”They’re hard to defend against. I remember Viri faced one on Rakata Prime once. She…” 

”And here we go with another Viri story,” Koth groans. “Let me guess. She was able to single-handedly destroy ten rancors with one hand tied behind her back and a tree branch for a weapon. After which time she saved an entire village of children and fed them dinner before tucking them in with a lullaby.” 

”I’ve never exaggerated about her,” Lana says. 

”You really expect us to believe she’s done all the things you said she’s done?” Koth rolls his eyes. “I don’t.” 

”It’s a bit far-fetched,” Len agrees. 

”She’s telling the truth,” Tora retorts. “The Wrath was always on the Holonet in Nar Shaddaa for saving planets and shit like that. Everyone knew who she was. She was pretty popular, especially for a Sith. Some people hated her guts, but I think more people liked her.” 

”You can’t be serious,” Koth says. 

”What’s wrong, Koth? Jealous that Lana’s girlfriend did something with her life?” Tora snorts. 

”We’re not continuing this discussion,” Koth snaps, punching the buttons on the navicomputer with more force than necessary.

**Viri**

“If you want to live, you must fight,” Valkorion snickers, watching Viri stumble and fall by the side of the road. 

”What do you think I’m doing, asshole?” Viri growls. 

”You need to rethink your tactics here. I could help you be strong,” Valkorion tells her. “Am I really so loathsome that you will not accept even an iota of my help?” 

”Yes,” Viri says. “I don’t need you. Through passion I gain strength.” 

”We’ll see,” Valkorion says, and sends an army of killiks flying at her. 

**Lana**

**_Vandin_**

Lana ambles through the cantina, searching for her contact. They’re back on Vandin for a split second to refuel and buy supplies, and someone from Lana’s network has reached out to her. 

She spots the woman in the corner, watching one of the holo dancers. For someone who stands out in a crowd, she does a supreme job of blending in. Blue hair, combed and sprayed high on her head. Multiple earrings in the cartilage of each ear. Eyes that might be brown and might be green. Imperial accent. The name she’s using now is probably an alias. Her demeanor makes Lana sure that she is an Intelligence alumnae, but there is an unspoken rule that they will not discuss their pasts. They’ve been assisting each other with good information, and that’s all that matters. 

”Lana,” the woman says, nodding to her. She keeps her eyes on the holo dancer, a Twi’lek man gyrating around a pole. 

”Brynn.” Lana follows her lead. “Good to see you.” 

”Likewise. I’ve got something for you. There’s a Great Hunt happening on Altair 3. Or what passes for it. The final round.” 

Lana raises her eyebrows. “Zakuul is allowing that?” 

Brynn shrugs. “Why would they object? It distracts people and kills lots of Mandalorians who might otherwise rise against them. Of course, they think that the final bounty is a criminal hiding out on the planet. It’s not. I’m not at liberty to tell you who it actually is, but you might want to stay away from the wardens at the Eternal Empire’s detention facility. Apparently they’ve imprisoned a lot of the clan leaders there.” 

”I see,” Lana says, quietly mulling over the possibilities in her head. “When is this happening?” 

”Next week. With so much distraction, it might be a good time to look for your friend.” 

”Won’t I need a token of some sort if I’m there?” Lana asks. 

”Nope. With all the Eternal Empire’s uproar, nobody can be bothered with sponsors anymore. Some people still have them, but the tokens and all that aren’t being used in this Hunt. You want to be there and you survive the other rounds, you can get in.” Brynn’s eyes flick to Lana. “Your friend did a favor for Portho the Hutt once. Portho’s competitor, Gret’a, just died in round three. Her armor might fit you, or one of your associates, if you want it. We could float the story that she was just injured, and not killed as everyone thought.” 

”Anyone have any grudges against Portho’s hunter?” 

”Of course. It’s the last round of the Great Hunt. Take a few associates and watch your back.” 

”Why is Portho interested in helping?”

”Portho never forgot that your friend helped a Hutt. Most people wouldn’t have. But she refused to kill him, because he’d been loyal to the Empire. He’s repaying that loyalty.” 

”Thank you, Brynn.” Lana surreptitiously hands a large number of credits to her. “And please do thank Portho for me.” 

”Glad to help,” Brynn says, finally making true eye contact with her. “I want her found. Our Empire needs its champion back. Hell, the galaxy does.” 

Brynn motions to another table, and a tall man in dark glasses rises and approaches them, carrying a travel case. 

”My husband, I know you’ve seen him before,” Brynn explains. 

”We have the armor you will need,” Brynn’s husband tells Lana, handing it over with an air of solemnity. “We wish you well.” 

“Thank you both,” Lana says, taking the case and turning to leave. “See you again.” 

*

”It’s the perfect time to check the prison,” Lana insists. “They will all be occupied with the Great Hunt. They won’t notice us at all.” 

”You now want us to walk on to what is essentially a battlefield with a pack of Mandalorians and other hunters,” Koth says in disbelief. 

”Correct.” Lana checks the armor in the mirror. It’s not her style, not even a little, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a reasonably good fit, and she’s been able to modify it enough to make it work. “We can source some armor for you or Len, and you can be my second. I’m allowed to bring a support droid, so that covers HK-55.” 

”This is ludicrous.” 

”Nothing about this is simple,” Lana agrees. “But I don’t think we’re going to have a better time to check that prison. It’s now or never. There are still several other ‘Outlanders’ and---“ 

”What did you just say?” Koth asks, his voice low and angry. 

”What?” Lana realizes her mistake too late. 

”You just said you were looking for the Outlander. Is your girlfriend that piece of filth? Have you really been dragging me and my crew around the galaxy to find that bitch? I’m not going to help you find her, unless you want to throw that carbonite block of hers off a cliff.” 

”My girlfriend was the Empire’s Wrath,” Lana says. “She is not filth. She killed your Emperor because he was a threat to the entire galaxy.” 

”The Emperor never threatened Zakuul.” 

”And Zakuul is not the only place in the galaxy, Koth! He devoured entire planets. He set the Empire and Republic at war for decades so he could feed his immortality with the death and war. He sent his children to invade our worlds. The Empire had a right to defend itself.” 

”Yeah, and because she killed him, we ended up with Arcann.” 

”Viri’s not responsible for Arcann’s actions,” Lana says. “Who raised him? Your precious Valkorion. If Viri hadn’t killed him, he might have devoured more planets by now.” 

“You’re asking a lot, Lana.” 

”The enemy of your enemy can be your friend, Koth,” Lana says, ushering him out of her cabin. “Think about it. If you don’t agree by the time we reach Altair 3, you can leave HK-55 and me there.” 

”I won’t do that,” Koth says. “Look. I’ll take you where you want to go. I just can’t help you actually rescue her. That’s going too far for me. You’ll have to go out with HK or anyone else on the crew who wants to join you. All right?” 

”That’s fair,” Lana agrees. “To Altair 3.”

**Viri**

Viri had once heard that when you died, you saw your loved ones again. What she hadn’t known was that when you were trapped in a living death with an evil man in your mind, your loved ones were now your adversaries. 

Whenever Viri sees one of them on the road, in the bombed-out buildings she passes, or in the debris of her starship, she runs in the other direction. It’s the only way to try to avoid the pain. Her parents. They always transform into rakghouls in front of her. Her team. They always die before her in some terrible way. Theron Shan. Lana. She runs, because she can’t see them hurt again; can’t stand it when they hurt her. She can’t fight their specters again and again. 

She’s tried so hard not to break under Valkorion’s torment, but she knows she’s losing. There’s no way to tune it out; no way to go somewhere else to get away from it. Valkorion can force her to see anything he wishes; take her anywhere he wants. The tactics she’d learned in Academy to prevent mind control don’t work in this dreamscape. 

She’s stopped pleading to her loved ones for help. They can’t assist her here, and they’re apparently never going to.

**Lana**

**_Altair 3_**

There’s a strict rule in the Great Hunt: competitors cannot kill each other, unless they’re in the Melee selection round or going for the same bounty within the game. The first isn’t an issue for Lana; the second is a concern. 

Brynn and her husband have provided her with all of the fallen hunter’s weapons along with the armor, and the state-of-the-art Czerka rifle is a comforting weight on Lana’s back. There’s a poisoned machete strapped to her thigh and a wide variety of toxic darts and grenades on her belt. 

Lana’s lightsaber is tucked away in a pouch on the armor, but she knows that she can only use it as a last resort. She’s not a Sith Lord here; she’s Gret’a the Wild, and if and if anyone discovers anything to the contrary, there will be trouble. Ringers are strictly forbidden in the Great Hunt, and she doesn’t even want to think about what will happen if she is found out. 

The cargo ship is in orbit, far enough away from the bounty hunters’ ships to avoid attention. They’ve shuttled down to the surface, and as Lana prepares to walk into the middle of the Great Hunt, she finds herself having second thoughts. 

“You ready for this?” Len, clad in heavy armor, asks her nervously. 

”As ready as I’m going to be,” Lana says. “You don’t have to come, you know.” 

”You and HK need backup,” Len says. “It looks brutal out there.” 

”It _is_ brutal,” Lana agrees, but she takes a deep breath, opens the shuttle door, and joins the fracas. 

The Zakuulan authorities have already realized that the prison is under attack, and they’ve sent Knights to dispatch the hunters. Several have already gone down, but several others are fighting their way to the building’s gates. 

Lana cuts down several Knights and a row of skytroopers, using the most lethal setting available on her Czerka rifle. Just one of the grenades from her belt is enough to blow a hole through the prison’s side wall. She, Len and HK-55 have charged through the breach and into the detention facility before the smoke has even cleared. 

”This isn’t the front door,” Len pants, running behind Lana. “Do you know which way to go from here?” 

Lana stops short with a terrible realization. “No.” She tries to remember the layout of the prison building; the schematics she’d memorized in her cabin. “Try left.” 

The trio veers left and finds themselves in a long corridor filled with prisoner cells. As they sprint along, Lana glances into each of them, just in case. HK-55 has Viri’s image loaded in his memory banks, and she can hear him scanning each organic, dead or alive, that they pass. 

“Where the hell is the carbonite wing…” Lana mutters to herself. 

”Suggestion: after running a thermal scan, I have discovered that the temperature of this structure is considerably lower approximately thirty meters east of our current location. Carbonite storage does not require heat.” HK-55 points down another hallway. 

”Good work, HK. Let’s go.” The three jog down the corridor, blast through the door, and find themselves flanked on either side by rows of carbonite slabs. 

”Commencing scan,” HK says. “Regret: none of the carbonite prisoners shares the target’s facial structure or physical profile.” 

“The Outlander is Cresh-Six…” Lana mutters. She cannot suppress a scream of frustration as she locates the spot on the wall and looks at the carbonite bounty. This ‘Outlander’ is a tiny Togruta woman. 

”Damn it!” Lana rages. “Fine. Another red herring has been eliminated. Let’s go.” 

“Commentary: Leaving this prison may be considerably harder than getting in,” says HK-55. 

”There’s some of the hunter scum! Attack!” A line of Knights rounds the corner and charges at Lana. She and HK-55 dispatch them easily with their rifles, and break into a run. They head down the corridor, away from another phalanx of Knights, and find themselves back in the crush of hunters. 

”Oh, this is not good.” Len murmurs. The hunters are fighting amongst themselves, trying to stop each other from getting to the wardens’ office. Some of them have released the prisoners, who have joined the melee. 

Len throws a smoke bomb to give them space to escape, and Lana uses another grenade to blast a second hole through the wall. As they run outside, a thrown lightsaber pike hits the side of her helmet, and half of it is instantly cut away. 

Lana scans their surroundings as quickly as they can as she removes the helmet. There’s a long lava pit on one side of them and the prison riot on the other. She and Len look at each other, nod, and begin to run alongside the wall. 

“We’re not going to be able to get back to our shuttle,” Lana says desperately into her comlink. “Just…go.”

“Hang on, we’ll come in to get you,” Koth says. A few minutes later the cargo ship appears in the sky; a minute after that, it is blasted out of the air. Lana cannot even tell who took it down, the hunters or Zakuulans, but she’s painfully aware that her means of egress have vanished. 

“Koth! Tora! Is everyone all right?” 

”Yes, but it’s rough out here! We’re trying to take cover – we see you over there – “ 

Lana reaches for her lightsaber. If this is to be her last stand, she resolves, she will face it as a Sith. She fends off one Knight and then another. 

”Walker!” Len screams, but it’s too late. A Zakuulan walker has crept up on them and opened fire. Lana dodges several shots, but when a missile is launched at her, there’s no place to run from it. Her hand is burning with excruciating pain, the ground below her has disappeared, and she’s tumbling straight into the lava. The last thing she’s aware of, before she blacks out, is someone grabbing her by the leg to stop her fall.

**Viri**

Kaas City. A black taxi takes her through silent skies to her apartment. But when she opens the door, the place is empty. It’s been stripped to the walls, and all of her belongings are gone. 

”What did you expect?” chuckles Valkorion. “Of course it’s been looted. Your team probably took your things and sold them one by one.”

”You’re wrong,” Viri says through gritted teeth. “They wouldn’t have.” 

”They would have stepped over your dead body and kept walking. It appears they’re doing just that.” 

”Shut up!” Viri screams. The scene changes, and she is tumbling down, down, to the walkway outside her apartment building. There are dead Imperial citizens everywhere she turns. She runs to them one by one, shaking them and desperately trying to revive them. 

“Wake up! Please wake up!”

 **Lana**

”…wake up.” 

Lana blinks as her eyes adjust to the bright lights of the med bay. Aside from the bond – which is a steady background ache that never leaves – she feels nothing, physically. In fact, her head seems as though it could float away. There’s an IV in her left hand. Her right arm is extended to her side and her hand is heavily bandaged. She wonders why it’s so chilly, until she realizes that she’s wearing a med bay gown instead of her usual layered clothing. 

In her dreams, Viri had been back on Yavin 4 with her, crying and crying. _Don’t leave me, Lana. Please don’t leave me._

_Dear one, I’m so sorry._

“Where am I?” Lana’s voice sounds bizarre to her own ears. 

”One of the bounty hunters picked us up,” Koth says, leaning over her. “Big name. We’re in her ship’s med bay. Everyone’s fine.” 

”…My hand.” Lana’s voice is hoarse. 

”You still have it,” Koth says. “It was crushed. The scans are grisly to look at, but they were able to install some pieces to support it and set the bones. You just got out of surgery a little while ago.” 

”Good,” Lana says faintly. Her eyes flick to the bedside table and find it empty. “What about my lightsaber? Do you have it?” 

”That…fell into the pit. HK grabbed you, but didn’t get to the saber.” 

”Oh.” Lana stares up at the ceiling. “HK! Is he safe?!”

”Confirmation: I am fine, Master.” HK-55 walks to the head of the bed and bows to Lana. “I have been monitoring you while you have been under medical care, and have not left your side.” 

”Thank you, HK,” Lana says, smiling with relief. “You’re always there for me.” 

”Emphatic Statement: It is my pleasure to be here for you. I do regret that I was unable to recover your lightsaber, but saving you seemed to be the more prudent decision.” 

”You did well, HK. That was the right call. I’m sorry to have lost that saber, but it seems to have been unavoidable,” Lana says, reassuring HK. 

“Can’t you just get another one?” Koth breaks in. 

“It’s not that simple. A lightsaber is a very personal weapon. You don’t just go into a store and pick one off the shelf. You shouldn’t, anyway. I need to build a new one.” 

In her mind she sees herself as a young apprentice at a Sith altar, building her own weapon. She’d watched the saber components circle in the air before coming together. The first time she’d ignited her finished lightsaber and watched the orange blade spring to life, she’d felt such triumph. Such power. Such joy. 

Others told her what to do, where to go and who to serve. The lightsaber, though, that was hers and hers alone. She’d designed it, sourced the parts, and built it, and she alone was its master. 

She sees the orange blade flashing against the snow of Hoth; against the many enemies she’s faced in the years after leaving Korriban. In her mind’s eye it sparks as it hits an indigo-blue blade being wielded by her sparring partner. Viri had always taken pains to dial back her strength and aggressiveness when she’d sparred with Lana, giving her a workout but never putting her in danger. 

_I always come back to her, don’t I?_

“HK, do you have my…” 

”Reassurance: I always do.” HK-55 holds a small holo-locket where Lana can see it, and she activates it and lets it hover in front of her. Immediately, the image of Viri and her on Yavin appears. She’s had this particular holo duplicated several times in several sizes so she won’t lose it, and HK always carries an extra for her. 

”You know, I’m right here,” Koth says, annoyed. 

”I know you are,” Lana says. “But I need to see Viri for a moment. You know what she is to me, so I’m not sure why you’re complaining.” 

”You’re never getting over her, are you?” 

”There’s nothing to get over. We’re separated right now, but we won’t always be,” Lana retorts. “I’ll find her.” 

“If you’re still looking for her twenty years from now, will that still be true? Or will you be kicking yourself for not giving anyone else a chance?” 

“I can’t believe you!” Lana snaps. “Damn it, what do I have to do, throw you through a wall to get it through that thick skull of yours?!”

“Lana, stop.” 

”I will not!” Lana sends chairs flying at Koth. “ _You_ never stop! I am in a fucking hospital bed and you think I should justify my relationship?! You apparently don’t even get that I like women, let’s start there…”

“But---“

” _But?!_ There is no ‘but’ here, Koth!” Lana uses her unbandaged hand to cast Force lightning in Koth’s direction. “I’m done. I’ve warned you more than once about this. My relationship with Viri is my business. Not yours. You don’t get a say. There is no reality, kriffing _none,_ in which I have anything romantic to do with you.” 

”Enough,” a Twi’lek doctor approaches Lana’s bedside. “Lana, this will not help you recover, although I fully agree with you. Koth, this isn’t the time to argue with my patient. Get the hell out of my med bay. She doesn’t have to explain who she loves to you. Deal with it.” 

”Just a moment!” Koth says angrily, standing up. “Who are _you_ to butt into this…” 

”Someone who heard a patient calling for her lover for the entire time she was in surgery, even under anesthesia. And the name she was saying was not ‘Koth’. Sorry to break it to you. Go take a walk and come back when you can act like an adult.”

Koth storms out of the room. 

”I don’t remember…” Lana stammers. 

”Of course you don’t. You were snowed,” the doctor says. “But you kept saying her name, over and over again. Viridana, isn’t it? Viri? You were saying both. She must be very special to you.” 

”She is everything. And right now she’s lost.” Lana feels tears running down her cheeks. “I don’t even know where in the galaxy she is. I’ve been looking for so long, and I can’t find her.”

”Consider why you’re here,” the doctor says. “There are 27 bones in the human hand. You had 53 breaks. Several bones were totally destroyed. Some major tendons were severed. It was the worst injury I’d ever seen on a hand that was still attached to its owner. Some doctors might have automatically decided it was not worth the effort and would have just taken it off. Do you know why we were able to save it for you? Your own healing factors.”

”Really?” Lana eyes the bandages. 

”Yes. Your own Force healing was already working on your hand by the time we got to it, and between that, and us, we were able to save it. Some of the more delicate breaks, the ones that we could never have repaired here? You took care of them. You’ve got some extra hardware in that hand now, but you won’t need a cybernetic replacement, and that is remarkable.” 

”Thank you,” Lana murmurs. 

“Something tells me you are capable of accomplishing things that people find impossible,” the doctor says. “So don’t count yourself out when it comes to finding your…girlfriend? Wife?”

”Girlfriend, but more than that. She’s…everything.” Lana pauses. “I don’t know why I’m being so candid.”

”You’re still pretty out of it,” the doctor says. “I’d imagine that’s why you’re crying and being so open with me. I should introduce myself, since we’re having a heart-to-heart and all. My name is Lucinda Walrez. I usually go by my last name or Wally; feel free to call me either.”

”Pleased to meet you,” Lana says. “Thank you for saving my hand.” 

”My pleasure.” Dr. Walrez notices the holo. “Ah, is this Viridana? What a pretty lady. Why don’t we put this holo right here next to your bed and tie it to your IV post, so you will see it and it won’t get lost. I’d like you to get more rest.” 

“I have things to do,” Lana insists. “I should get up…” 

”Right now, the only thing you have to do is sleep and let those bones heal, at least a little,” Dr. Walrez tells her, gently administering some medications into Lana’s IV line. 

”What is that?” Lana asks, feeling her eyes begin to droop. 

”I just gave you more pain medication. Believe me, you really don’t want to feel your hand right now. The second drug was something to help you sleep. You need to rest. I have a feeling you haven’t done that in a while.” Dr. Walrez pulls a warm blanket up to Lana’s shoulders. 

“But---“ 

“I promise that you’re safe on this ship. Your droid is right at the foot of your bed, and Taran’s crew won’t let any harm come to you. She’s ordered everyone to protect you, and we’re in hyperspace so we cannot be bothered by any other vessels.” 

“Taran?” Lana says, fighting the pull of sleep.

“The bounty hunter who owns this ship,” Walrez explains. “I’ll tell you everything later. For now, I really need you to rest. You shouldn’t get up while you’re still coming out of the anesthesia. If you don’t want to sleep, that’s fine. Meditate, or think about your lady, or count in your head, but I need you to lie still.” 

”All right,” Lana says grudgingly. She closes her eyes, and is asleep in seconds. 

*  
_Ten days later_

“All right, make a fist for me. Good. Wiggle the fingers. Now, one by one. Point. Can you do a ‘thumbs up’ sign? Now, obviously I don’t want you to actually choke me, but can you make your hand do a Force choke position?” Doctor Walrez watches closely as Lana moves her hand and fingers as directed.

”The joints seem to be moving well,” Lana observes. Her hand is severely scarred and sutured, but at least it’s still attached.

“Yes,” Walrez says, handing a blaster barrel to Lana. “I’m pleased. Now, let’s see how strong that hand is. Grip this. I’m going to try to take this away from you, and I want you to pull back with that hand, as hard as you can. Don’t worry about hurting me, just pull with all your might.” 

Lana complies, and immediately frowns. Her hand is exceptionally weak, and she can’t hold on to the barrel. 

”I’m going to give you some exercises to do on your own,” Walrez says. “But it probably won’t be as strong as the other hand anymore. Are you right-handed?” 

”No, left.” 

“Well, that’s something, at least. Your dominant hand is the uninjured one. But I’m going to assume you need your right hand for your lightsaber.” 

”That I do,” Lana says. “Would it be worth replacing the hand? It’s not what I’d prefer, but…” 

”When we get to our next stop, I’ll introduce you to a friend of mine,” Walrez says. “He can fit you with a gauntlet that will boost that hand up. If that doesn’t work, you might have to consider removing it and replacing it with a cybernetic, but let’s see if a crush glove and some recuperation time will do the trick for you.” 

”You’ve been so helpful. Thank you.” 

”It’s the least we can do,” a raspy voice from the doorway makes Lana turn her head. “If it isn’t Lana Beniko. Love the new outfit, sister. Much better than the Sith cape.” A tall Rattaki woman is leaning in the doorjamb, her arms crossed. Tora, Len and the rest of Koth’s crew file into the room behind her. 

”Have we met?” Lana asks. 

“You don’t know me, but _I_ know _you,_ ” Taran says. “A few years ago, finding you would have brought me quite a few credits. I’m Taran. I own this ship. The _Devastator._ ” 

” _You_ had a bounty out on you? Way to go, Spooky,” Tora laughs. “What’dja do?” 

”Long story, but I was accused of murdering someone on the Dark Council. It wasn’t false, really – I didn’t kill them but I certainly facilitated their death. But they were planning on destroying the Empire and Republic so it was justified,” Lana explains. 

”And your buddy Viri did nothing about that?” Koth snorts. 

”Actually, she gave me several million credits, liquid assets and help, and convinced the head of the Dark Council not to look for me. She offered to accompany me and I wouldn’t let her. Anything else?” Lana snaps. 

”Oh.” Koth looks at the floor. 

“Anyway,” Taran says, “The bounty on your head was _massive,_ and it always irritated the shit out of me that I could never collect it. I won the Great Hunt, and you still got away from me. You’re the only bounty I’ve ever missed.” 

”I guess I’m flattered,” Lana says. 

”You should be. That’s why I picked you up. Someone as skilled as you didn’t deserve to die on a battlefield on Altair 3.” 

”If you don’t mind my asking, what were you doing on Altair 3?”

Taran shrugs. “Mentoring one of the contestants. They didn’t make it. But I was watching everyone from my Holo channel, and when your helmet flew off, I knew just who you were. Your droid tells me you’re searching for the Wrath. That earns points with me, too. So we’ll give you all the medical help you need, and we’ll get you to Asylum.”

”To where?” Lana asks. 

”It’s a shadow port. It’s not on a single galactic map. Nobody knows it exists. Not the Republic, not the Empire, not the Hutts, and most importantly, not Zakuul. Even the Holonet transmissions out of the port are relayed and masked several times, so nobody can trace them. It’s safe, and I think you might need that right now,” Taran says. “I don’t need to tell you that you need to keep that information for yourself.” 

”You’re saving my life in more ways than one,” Lana says. “Thank you.”

**Viri**

_There has to be a safe place,_ Viri tells herself, as she runs down another endless road in the perpetual night. _There has to be some way_ I _can make him stop this._

Viri sits down by the side of the road and does something she has not thought of in all the years she’s been in carbonite: she meditates. 

”You can’t do that here,” Valkorion laughs and sends a strike of lightning above Viri’s head. 

”My brain. My rules. Think I forgot that for a while.” Viri puts her head back down and pushes herself. _Find a safe place within your meditation._ Slipping into a meditative trance is easier than she’d expected, and she finds herself in her own dreamscape. 

_A dream within a dream. All right. I’ll go with it._ Viri is walking in the sunshine on the beach in Naboo. There’s a rumble of thunder in the distance, but she turns away from it. She doesn’t trust herself to go into the sea – she’s cynical enough to believe that Valkorion could still have some influence – but she sits on the warm sand and closes her eyes. For the first time in a long time, she feels peace. 

As she sits on the sand, however, she’s aware of a growing pain in her stomach. “You can’t hurt me here, you bastard,” she says, gritting her teeth. 

The sky turns black and Valkorion’s laughter makes the ground shake as she is roused from her meditation. “ _I’m_ not hurting you right now. You’ve heard of carbonite poisoning, I trust? This metal box is killing you slowly. It’s been a delightful complement to my own work. Enjoy!” 

**Lana**

__

_**Asylum**_

”It’s been a pleasure,” Lana says, as she walks out of the _Devastator._ “Thank you for the rescue, and for all your help. Really. Are you staying on Asylum too?” 

Taran shrugs. “We come and go. This is a good base to have. We live out of the ship and dock it here when we’re not working. You…don’t have a ship right now, but we can point you toward the residential quarter. Lots of places to rent rooms, and some of them aren’t even forsaken dives.” 

“You have some homework,” Walez says, consulting her datapad. “I’ve sent you the coordinates for the gentleman I told you about, someone who deals in ships, and a black market dealer for lightsabers.” 

”They have a black market for lightsabers?” Lana says, surprised. 

”Yeah, and it’s really amusing watching people try to handle them. There’s a reason only you Force types should have them, and some people don’t figure it out until they’ve sliced off a body part or two,” Taran laughs. “I’m giving you our holo coordinates as well. I can’t get involved in your search, but we’re glad to call you an ally, Sith. If you’ve got questions we can answer, call us.” 

”If we’re on Asylum, I want you to let me know how it’s going with your hand,” Walrez says. 

”I can’t thank you enough,” Lana says. “If there’s anything I can do for you…” 

”Get the Wrath back, and we’ll be square,” Taran tells her. “I’ve had enough of Zakuul. Go get your frozen friend, and have her give Arcann some extra stabs for me.” 

”I’m doing my best to make that happen,” laughs Lana.

* 

”Right,” says Lana, walking briskly through the port. “I’ll get my glove and my lightsaber sorted out, we’ll rent some rooms, and then we’ll prepare for Open Day…” 

Koth and Tora look at each other uneasily. “Lana…” 

”What?” she says suspiciously. 

”You missed Open Day.” Tora looks genuinely sympathetic for once. 

Lana gasps. “But…how?!” 

”Look at the calendar,” Tora tells her. “You weren’t allowed to leave the med bay for three weeks while your hand was healing. Taran finished like four hunting runs while you were zoned out. We even swung back to Vandin and picked up all your stuff you had in storage. It’s in the trunks.” 

”Why didn’t anyone tell me?!”

”When you were in a painkiller-induced haze it didn’t seem like the best time to mention it. Everyone was sure you’d rip out your IV and try to limp to Zakuul.” 

Lana covers her face with her hands and turns away. “Damn it.” 

”Hey,” Koth says. He puts a hand on her shoulder and quickly removes it again when she glares at him. “We still haven’t checked Arron Prime or that other place. Maybe she’s there.” 

“I---I need to make a new lightsaber first,” Lana stammers. “Let me do that, and then we’ll try Arron Prime.” 

*

The black market lightsaber dealer works out of a tiny shop in a dark alley in the most gang-infested quarter of Asylum. Lana feels eyes watching her from the windows and doors as she approaches the entrance and knocks in an elaborate pattern. 

”What do you want?” 

”Passion and Victory,” Lana says, repeating the code words she’s been given. She hears the locks slide open, and she walks into a dim, dusty room. 

Lana has never seen so many lightsabers in one place. There are pikes and polesabers; lightsabers with designs from the Order of Shasa and the Knights of Zakuul. Boxes of lightsaber components are stacked up on tall shelves around the room. 

”We’ve got everything,” the proprietor says. He’s clad head to toe in Sith armor, with a fearsome skull motif mask and talons on his fingers. “Sith. Jedi. Shasa. Zakuul. All the colors. Whatever you want, we’ve got it. What’s your budget?” 

”I’m flexible, but I need to construct my own,” Lana says. “Do you have parts I can see, and a forge?” 

“One of those,” the proprietor says. “I’d almost forgotten what it was like to attend to an actual Sith, and not someone who just wants to wave a glow stick in the air. All the parts are on those shelves over there.” 

“I might be a while,” Lana says. 

”Take your time. As I said, I’m glad to see someone who wants to put in the work to build one. We’ll stay open as long as you need.” 

It takes Lana several hours of sifting through the boxes before she’s satisfied with what she’s found. She fills a bag with the lightsaber components she wants and returns to the front of the store. “I have everything. Do you have crystals?” 

“Here,” the man says, quickly opening a small vault and extracting a canister. He pours a wide variety of crystals out on the table. 

Lana’s hand hovers over a bright orange crystal, and then a green one, but it doesn’t feel right. She reaches into the Force and lets it guide her, and she finds herself holding a red crystal in her hands. She feels it vibrating against her fingers as she pays for everything. 

*

It takes Lana a week to construct her new lightsaber. The crystal is tricky; Lana meditates for several days on it to completely clear the energy and imbue it with the Force anew. By the time she’s finished, it’s glowing red and radiating with the Force. Every component needs to be cleaned and polished, and Lana clears the energy from them, too. 

When everything has been prepared, Lana spreads a scarf on the floor, lines up the lightsaber components on the fabric, sits in her usual meditation pose, and channels the Force. 

_Go. Assemble._ The components and the crystal float in front of her, coming together to form a whole. The lightsaber seals itself with a flash of purple light, spinning gently in the air until Lana reaches out and grabs it. 

Lana stands and ignites her new lightsaber. The crimson blade flashes to life in the darkness of her room and Lana does several rudimentary sweeps with it, watching shadows dance against the walls. It will need to be tested, but in her hands, even with her new crush glove, it already feels perfect.

*

**Viri**

Her lightsaber is the only thing that remains for Viri. It is a comforting pressure on her hip; it fits in her hand as though it was created there. When the indigo blade ignites to fight the horrors of Valkorion’s nightmare worlds, she is reminded, just for a second, that she is Sith. That she is Viri. That she is still alive, regardless of the poisoning, and regardless of how Valkorion has tried to break her down. 

Viri has been through several lightsabers in her life. The first, looted from Naga Sadow’s tomb at Darth Baras’s request, was clandestinely returned to its tomb later on and replaced with an elegant saber that Viri built herself. She’d quickly tired of it and built a second, and then a third. That third saber had been her life, and it was the one she had kept and cherished. 

Still, her hands are getting weaker as they grip the lightsaber; her jumps are getting slower; her reflexes are failing her. Every day, she hurts more. She clutches her lightsaber more tightly in her fingers; holding on to the touchstone of strength as strenuously as she can. 

**3632**

**Lana**

_**Zakuul** _

Zakuul. Lana hates the planet. Everything is gaudy gold and white, and she feels as though she’s walking through an endless Hutt palace. Many of the people are so flighty and shallow that they try her patience. Still, it’s where she needs to be today.

Lana and Tora join the queue for Open Day early in the morning, disguised in typical Zakuulan clothing. The citizens of Zakuul come from far and wide for Open Day, and the line stretches for several city blocks by sunrise. Lana feels naked without her lightsaber, but since it isn’t a weapon any civilian would carry, she’s left it back on the shuttle in favor of a blaster. It’s a different weight at her thigh, and she doesn’t care for it. Her eyes are itching behind the contact lenses that have been procured to help her hide her golden eyes. When they finally reach the entrance, they present their Zakuulan identification chips before being directed through a weapons scanner and herded into a small group.

“Welcome to Emperor Arcann’s vaults,” the tour guide says solemnly. This rare opportunity has been arranged for you to view some of our esteemed Emperor’s favorite possessions, and a selection of the spoils of the Eternal Empire’s victories. Follow me.” 

As they walk through room after room, Lana feels her disgust growing. The takeaways from the tour are painfully obvious: Zakuul is rich. Zakuul is powerful. Zakuul defeats any enemy that dares to challenge her. There’s an entire room of artifacts that were obviously looted from Korriban; tablets and statues and the obelisk from the atrium of the Sith Academy. There is another chamber filled with similar spoils from Tython. Voss sarcophagi. Rakata statues from Belsavis. Banners from the various houses of nobility on Alderaan. Even gilded furniture from Hutt palaces is on display.

”…and all of these primitive cultures were subdued by Zakuul’s superior military,” the guide continues. Lana feels rage bubbling up in her chest, but she remembers her mission, and continues to memorize every hallway and door she sees. Beside her, Tora is casually surveying the security consoles, making mental notes on their form, function and locations. 

”…on our way out of the vault, please take a look at the display cases to your left. These weapons were confiscated from many of Emperor Arcann’s most challenging foes. Some of them are now encased in carbonite; others were left dead on the battlefield.” The group files past the weapons. Viri’s red and blue lightsaber is in the middle of the display, and Lana’s breath catches in her throat.

”We hope you have enjoyed your tour, and that you appreciate the special favor Emperor Arcann has granted you in allowing you to view his collection. This concludes your visit. Please disperse.” The tour group ambles off in different directions, but Tora and Lana quietly hang back. 

”Ladies, the tour is over,” the guide says. 

“I know, but you can show us where the Outlander is, right?” Lana asks, giving the man a subtle push with the Force. “I know it’s not on the tour, but we’d love to applaud Arcann’s handiwork…”

“Nobody’s allowed to see the Outlander, but I’m sure I can show you,” The guide says cheerfully, and leads them down the hallway. They pass through one corridor and then another, around a corner, and through a set of strong durasteel doors. The guide finally opens a second door and gestures for them to follow. 

”There she is. Pity they won’t let us throw rocks at her.” The guide gestures at the carbonite block hanging in the center of the room. 

Viri. 

The sight of Viri in carbonite is not as bad as she thought it would be, on one level. It is a thousand times worse, on another. Her hands are up, as though she tried to shield herself from the carbonite freezing, but her eyes and mouth are thankfully closed. The bio-status light on the side of her carbonite block is a steady green, which is a relief. 

Lana closes her eyes and tries to tap into Viri’s Force signature. She’s _there,_ but Lana finally understands what Jaesa had told her, so many years ago. Viri seems neither alive nor dead; her signature is almost white noise. Confusion weakly flickers through the bond, as though it recognizes something but isn’t entirely sure it’s really there.

**Viri**

Today it’s Korriban. She’s back in the tombs, surrounded by deranged acolytes and slugs. 

”There are too many of them, even for you,” a voice intones. “Let me help you.” 

”Bite me, old man,” Viri snaps, and draws her lightsaber. “I could beat these things when I was an acolyte.” To prove her point, she clears the room and runs to the next. What she sees there makes her stop short.

 _Lana._

Lana is at the end of the corridor, dressed in an unfamiliar gold and black outfit, and she’s staring sadly at Viri. Her Force signature is unmistakable. They’ve talked before in her dreams, but this time, Viri senses, without knowing how, that Lana is also physically near her.

Viri stows her lightsaber and runs, but before she can reach Lana, her Force signature fades out again. Viri sinks down the wall, lost in utter despair. ”Don’t leave me here. Don’t go. Please, Lana. Come back, come back…” Viri sobs. 

Valkorion chuckles. “You didn’t think she was really going to rescue you, did you? She doesn’t care about you any more than anyone else does.” 

” _Liar!_ ” 

”Am I? She dumped you after Yavin.”

Viri screams and throws a blast of Force energy in Valkorion’s direction. He laughs and vanishes, and the walls of Tulak Hord’s tomb come into focus again.

**Lana**

“Thank you,” Lana says to the tour guide, as he walks them back to the exit. “You’ve been most helpful. You don’t remember we were here. You’ve never seen us and nobody has visited the Outlander today.” 

”Goodbye now,” the tour guide says brightly. “Who are you?” 

”Nobody you need to be concerned with,” Lana says, giving the man’s brain one last push. 

Lana and Tora walk silently back toward the shuttle. Neither speaks until they are airborne and out of Zakuul’s atmosphere. 

”So,” Tora says. “Was that your friend?” 

”Yes. And she’s still alive. I felt her. After all this time, she was right there, and I couldn’t take her with me. I had to leave her in that horrible place…” Lana’s voice trembles. 

Tora glances over at Lana. “You know what, I’ll get us home. Why don’t you rest or meditate or do whatever you Force-sensitive weirdoes do?” 

”Thank you,” Lana replies, and walks numbly away from the bridge. She settles down in a back corner of the shuttle and tries to quiet her mind into a meditation. 

As Lana casts her mind into the Force, she focuses on Viri’s location and pulls on every fiber of their bond. Every bit of love. Every physical sensation she’s ever felt with Viri. Every strand of desire. The walls of the shuttle vanish as she falls into her trance. 

She’s in a tomb. From the stench and the carvings on the walls, it’s Tulak Hord’s complex; the bane – and final resting place – of so many acolytes. She walks quietly through the empty chambers, her feet echoing on the stones. 

Viri is crumpled against the wall. Her Force signature is projecting pure anguish, and she’s muttering something to herself. 

”She left me here, she doesn’t care…she doesn’t care…”

”Viri.” Lana kneels down beside her and touches her hair. 

”Lana…is it really you?” Viri looks up uncertainly. She stretches out her hand. Lana grasps it, gratefully, and their bond sizzles with affection and trust. 

”Yes, love.” 

” _You left me._ ” Her blue eyes are pools of agony as she glares at Lana. 

”Love, no, no, listen to me…I’ll be back to rescue you. I saw you in Zakuul. I know where you are now, and I’m creating a plan to get you out.” Viri silently curls up against her. Something malevolent tries to shove Lana away. Lana pushes back until the entity relents, and she wraps her arms protectively around Viri. 

Viri says nothing, but looks into Lana’s eyes. Desperation. Hope. Sadness. “I’ve got you, Viri. I promise I’m on my way.”

“I can’t do this much longer,” Viri whispers. Her face is shadowed and gaunt, her skin is a sickly shade of gray, and her fingers pull at Lana’s scarf, clinging. “Please. I can’t.” 

“I’ll be there soon. Please keep fighting. I…I can’t imagine how terrible it is to be where you are. But I need you to hang on for me.” She holds Viri tighter.

Viri sighs and clutches Lana close. “You care.” 

”Of course I care. Whatever is telling you otherwise…whatever is trying to hurt you here…you know you shouldn’t listen to it.” As Lana says it, she knows she is asking the impossible. Viri’s been tortured in this dreamscape for five years. It’s a wonder she hasn’t completely broken down. 

”It never stops,” Viri shivers. 

”I’ll get you out of here as soon as I can,” Lana murmurs, and holds Viri close. She closes her eyes and whispers to Viri in Sith, repeating her favorite verse to her. “Do not despair, little demon. You are made to burn like the stars and light your path in passion.” 

Lana maintains the connection as long as possible, all the way back to Asylum. When it finally fades out, she opens her eyes in the darkness of the shuttle, and is surprised to realize that the engine is off. The ship is docked but Tora is still in the pilot’s seat, her feet propped up on the console. 

”You didn’t have to wait, Tora.” 

”Yeah, I did,” Tora says. “I didn’t want anyone disturbing you while you were doing…whatever that was.” 

Lana looks at her hands and takes a shuddering breath. “Thank you.” When she tries to stand up, she stumbles. Contacting Viri has taken every bit of strength she possesses. 

”Crap, what did you do to yourself? I saw you were having issues, but it seemed safest to leave you alone.” 

”What was I doing?” Lana asks. 

”Crying, sweating, shaking…saying things in another language. Does she speak something else?”

”We both speak Sith,” Lana says, turning away. 

”Hey. Spooky. I’m not good with feelings, so I’m not going to try. But being in carbonite has gotta suck for your friend, and I know it really sucked for you to see it. Just saying.” 

”Thank you, Tora. I…appreciate that.” Lana takes a shaky breath. 

”Look. Go back to the hideout. Sleep. I don’t think you’re up for Captain Drama’s insults of Viri tonight, so I’ll handle him. Don’t bother thanking me again. Just go.”


	31. Found

**3632 BBY**

**Lana**

**_Asylum_ **

“How close are we to pulling this off?” Lana asks, pacing impatiently around the room. She has assembled everyone she can think of who might be able to help her organize a rescue for Viri. Even T7-O1, the contact in Zakuul recommended by Theron, is listening in via a Holo channel that is even more masked and redirected than the usual ones. Koth is conspicuously absent, but Len, Tora and the rest of his crew are present.

“You will need a good disguise,” Len says. “Maybe you could be a Knight of Zakuul…except that selling Knights’ armor on the open market or duplicating it is punishable by death, so it might take us a while to acquire some.”

“Damn, I wish we’d thought of that sooner. We’ve killed plenty of Knights already. We could have taken their armor,” Lana groans. 

”Yeah, we could also take the easier route. I saw a lot of scientists walking around.” Tora suggests. “One of them was even checking the carbonite blocks. I think if you wore one of those uniforms, and hid those glowing eyes of yours, you could pass for one of them. You could get T7-O1 in that way, too: I noticed a lot of them seemed to have astromechs following them around.” 

"T7 = poses as your assistant. Tora = brilliant!" T7 agrees. 

”Tora is brilliant, I will agree with that. I could get in under the pretense of being a scientist,” Lana muses. “Very clever. But how do we disable the alarms once we’re in?” 

”That’s the difficulty,” Tora says. “Even though it’s not guarded as much as other places, since they’re not exactly expecting those poor carbonite fools to walk out, it’s clearly wired. The Outlander’s slab seemed to be monitored by several different surveillance cameras.” 

”It takes about thirty seconds for an average human adult to thaw,” Walrez says. “After that, I’d imagine the alarm will sound.” 

“Estimate time + distance to nearest Skytrooper station = 2.5 additional minutes before guards arrive,” T7-O1 chimes in. 

”So I need to be able to get in and out of there with Viri in under three minutes, and I can expect resistance,” Lana says. “I can’t just slap another researcher’s uniform on Viri and walk out with her again, you’re saying?” 

”That would be very doubtful, yes,” Walrez says. “Aside from the alarms, your friend isn’t likely to be very coherent or in the best of shape.” 

”She’s strong,” Lana says. “She was the Wrath.” 

”Which is probably why she’s still alive after five years of carbonite,” Walrez says, undeterred. “I hope you realize that alone is going to be a huge obstacle.” 

”I just thought I could unfreeze her, and that she might be sick, but she’d recover. I’ve read a lot about….” 

”Lana, in my career I've seen five people unfrozen from long-term carbonite storage. Two of them died, and all three of the survivors had severe hibernation sickness. Carbonite freezing is an imperfect practice. It wasn’t even originally intended to send living beings into hibernation; it was designed to transport gas in a stable form. It sometimes poisons people from the inside out. Even if someone's lucky enough to avoid being poisoned and survive hibernation, they still sometimes die when they’re unfrozen.”

”I see,” Lana says, her heart sinking. 

”If your friend was in a Rakata stasis tank you could turn it off and she’d skip out, none the worse for wear. But this? Expecting a person to survive an extended stay in carbonite without suffering any long-term damage would be a bit foolhardy.”

“What am I looking at?” Lana says, putting her hands on her hips. 

”Worst case scenario? She dies as soon as you unfreeze her. If she lives, you’re probably going to be dealing with someone who is extremely ill. She might not be able to see or hear you; she might not have any idea who you are or where she is. She won't be able to think straight or make good decisions. She might not be able to walk. Can you carry her, if you need to?” 

”She’s bigger than I am, but I think I could,” Lana says. “Can’t we do anything for her?” 

”I would suggest administering an antidote for carbonite poisoning,” Walrez says. “It can keep her from dying by mitigating the worst of it, but it won’t halt the effects of hibernation. Those just take time, medical support and rehabilitative therapy for recovery.” 

”But the antidote will keep her alive, if she's been poisoned?” 

”Probably. But that’s not a definite yes. If she’s going to die, you’ll know right away, though. There’s always a crisis point where the person seems to stop breathing, shortly after they’ve been thawed. She’ll either start breathing again, and you’ll know the antidote has taken, and she’ll live. Or…she won’t, and that will be it. It'll be peaceful, at least.” 

”…but!”

”Lana, I wish I could tell you that you’ll give your girlfriend the antidote and she’ll magically be all right, but you know better than that. The antidote will give her the best chance. But nothing is one hundred percent. You need to go into this knowing that you might do everything right, and she still might not make it,” Walrez says sympathetically. 

“All right.” Lana paces again. “How soon can we do this?” 

”Let’s go over the pieces,” Len says. “Scientist’s uniform. Access badge. Current codes. Fast ship that can get the hell out of there as soon as you have the Outlander. Antidote and a way to administer it.” 

“The first three aren’t an issue,” Tora says. “And I’ve mapped out the building for you as best as I could.”

“How do you remember all of this?” Lana says, taking the datapad and studying Tora’s schematics. “All these details…!” 

”Because I’m that good,” Tora says smugly. 

“If you’ve got the credits, I can get you the antidotes in a few days,” Walrez says. “I’m not asking for myself, but the meds aren’t cheap. My source will certainly demand a bribe for their silence, as well. As with so many other things, carbonite antidotes are illegal under the Eternal Empire. They don’t want anyone to survive being unfrozen. There’s a huge black market for it with the bounty hunters right now.”

“Understood,” Lana says. “The money isn’t an issue. Can we get more than one, to increase the chance that it will work?”

Walrez frowns. “That’s going to be a world of pain for her, but seeing as how she’s not going to have any med support immediately available, that might be her best chance. If one doesn’t take, the other likely will.” 

“How about stims, adrenals? Something to juice her up so she can haul ass out of there?” Tora suggests. 

Way too dangerous,” Walrez says. “Her system isn’t going to know how to react to the simplest of outside stimuli, including air and water. We can’t start introducing things like adrenals. It could very easily kill her. The antidotes are going to be hard enough to handle. I’d suggest using psychology, myself. You said she’s a hero, and will jump to people’s rescues. So tell her she needs to save the galaxy, and it might be enough to fire her up.”

”That’s actually true, she does need to save the galaxy,” Lana says. 

”Yes, so you’re not lying to her. You’re giving her a reason to try to keep going.” 

”It seems as though the trip out of there is going to be trickier than getting in,” Lana reflects.

”If only we could immediately throw her into a kolto tank and get her on some medical support…wait. We can! We’re looking at this the wrong way. Maybe we don’t pull her out of carbonite in the vault. Maybe we smuggle her out while she’s still in carbonite, get her into a ship with a med bay, and unfreeze her, administer the antidote, set an IV and get her into that kolto tank straight away.” Walrez snaps her fingers. 

Lana’s lips curl into a smile as the potential of the idea dawns on her. “Wally, that is brilliant. We could get her out on one of the cargo vessels that services Zakuul!”

”Exactly. We come in as a shipping crew. We have a new toy from some poor conquered planet to add to Arcann’s personal collection. Heaven knows, that spoiled horror is always bringing new prizes in, so that wouldn’t be out of turn. It’s plausible. So we bring a crate into the vault, throw her carbonite slab into the crate, and walk out with it.” Walrez grins.

“There are enough poor saps trapped in carbonite that we could just put someone else in her place,” Tora says. “We hit up a bounty hunter for one of their old trophies of a woman, one that’s already dead, and just leave her there instead of the Outlander. It’s not as though the people who work in that vault are going to recognize her."

"Force knows, that is what Zakuul has done, leaving all those decoys in all those places," Lana agrees. "So let's turn their own game against them. Wally, does Taran have anything we could use?” 

”Taran doesn’t like keeping those carbonite slabs, she says they creep her out,” Walrez says. “But she would know where we could find one.” 

“When can we do this?” Lana says, smiling eagerly. “Let me know what you need for the uniforms, the crates, the carbonite bounty, or the ship, and we’ll do it.” 

”It would be best to use a ship that is already planning a shipping run to Zakuul, to lower suspicion,” Walrez says. “If something’s off schedule, there will be immediate questions. Things run just so in Zakuul.” 

Tora consults her datapad. “What about Auyrini’s ship? Scheduled for the Spire in two weeks. We could meet her en route, and she could be bribed to hang there for an extra hour so we can unload and reload our cargo.” 

Walrez frowns. “That’s not my first choice, but it will do. Lana, will that work for you?” 

”The sooner we get her out, the better. I can always make Auyrini and her crew forget we were even on board.” 

“T7 = ready to help whenever you arrive,” T7-O1 chirps. 

“We have a plan, then,” Walrez says, standing up. “Lana, talk to me about credits, and I’ll start assembling the components. You do the same. The _Devastator_ has to leave next week, and we’ll likely be away for some time, so I unfortunately won’t be here to help you when you return with Auyrini, but I look forward to seeing you and your friend later.” 

”Good,” Lana says, rising from her chair and finishing her drink. “I can’t thank you all enough.” 

On the way out of the room, one of Koth's crew members stops her. "Lana? A moment?"

"Of course, Ralo," Lana says.

"We know how much this means to you. We also figured you'd probably need credits to get the supplies for Viri's rescue, whatever you ended up planning. So last night, the crew took up a collection. Everyone gave something." 

"Everyone except Captain Drama," Tora says. "But that probably won't shock you."

"Yeah," Ralo says. "But everyone else chipped in. Please take this." Ralo offers Lana an elaborate box. When she opens it, she sees a large stack of credits.

"Oh no," Lana says, touched. "You didn't have to do this."

"Yeah, we did," says Ralo. "You've always been square with everyone here. You've saved our necks more times than we can count. We wanted to do something for you, to thank you and wish you luck getting Viri back."

"...I don't know what to say," Lana says, smiling. "This is lovely. Thank you all. Please give my gratitude to the rest of the crew, too." 

"Stop with the feelings, Spooky," Tora snorts. "We're glad to help. You'll have to probably give all those credits back to Walrez in five minutes for the antidotes. But the thought counts and all."

* 

The plan to free Viri is set into motion immediately. Walrez sources and delivers the antidotes, a decoy carbonite bounty is identified, and both scientist and shipping crew disguises are assembled in the back alleys of Asylum. With every piece that falls into place, Lana’s soul feels lighter. Happier. After five years, it’s finally coming together. She’s stayed true to her goal, and it’s paid off. 

As she sits in the cantina, enjoying an evening beer, she looks through the checklist on her datapad again and sighs with joy. Everything’s ready; all they need is Auyrini’s ship, and that’s a week away. 

Koth, sitting nearby, rolls his eyes and mutters something under his breath. 

”What was that, Koth?” Lana asks, looking up. 

“Nothing,” Koth snaps, sipping his beer. “Nothing at all, Lana.” 

”Stars, Koth, you couldn’t be a bigger baby if you tried,” Tora snorts. “Spooky, don’t pay him any mind.” 

”You’ve been sullen for a week, Koth. I sincerely hope it’s not about my…friend,” Lana minds her words, realizing that the cantina might have ears. 

Koth will not meet her eyes. 

”It is! For Force’s sake, Koth, you’re _this_ jealous? Really?”

”You can’t expect me to be happy about this, Lana,” Koth finally says, and starts on a fresh drink. 

”Whoa. Do you think Lana’s never allowed to be with anyone else, because she doesn’t want you?” Len asks. “You’re not being fair.” 

“She’s about to get her girl back. It’s something she’s wanted for a long time. And you have to be an asshole about it?” Tora snaps. 

”You don’t understand!” Koth explodes. “I just…don’t like her friend.” 

”We’re done, Koth,” Lana says, getting up from the bar. 

”Lana, no…” 

”I need allies. Not adversaries.” Lana turns and storms away. 

****

**Viri**

Viri claws at the wall, trying to stay upright as she feels her strength fading. She knows, instinctively, that she is in mortal danger, and it’s not just within Valkorion’s nightmare-scape. Her body is dying, and she can feel the poison eating through her system. 

"Lana," she chokes on her words. "Lana, help me. Please."

“Tsk, tsk,” Valkorion says. “What a waste. I really thought that one of the miserable people you helped would come back for you. I guess I was wrong. You spent your life helping people who couldn’t have cared less about you. Worth nothing in life; worth nothing in death.” 

”You’re wro—“ Viri says, and faints. 

****

**Lana**

_Lana. Help Me. Please._

The words resonate through Lana's mind and make her look up from her datapad, as a sudden cold chill runs down her spine. Her heart is pounding, and she's broken into a sweat. _Viri. Something's wrong._ She settles down to meditate in a corner of her hotel room, centering herself; pulling on the bond she and Viri share to try to reach her. 

Lana finds herself walking through a cold, dark room. She almost trips over Viri’s prone body. 

”Viri? What's the matter?” She shakes Viri’s shoulder, but instantly draws back when she realizes that her skin is cold. As Lana watches in horror, Viri withers into a skeleton, and then a pile of ash. 

Lana looks around frantically. The only other thing in the room is a large chrono on the wall. The numbers are going backward and blinking. 

13:15.  
13:14.  
13:13.  
13:12. 

Lana opens her eyes. A truth as cold as carbonite is now lodged in her chest: Viri is running out of time. Damn the planning; damn waiting for the right moment. If they don’t free Viri from her prison soon, she won’t be able to be freed.

*  
Lana changes her armor, tucks some supplies into her pockets, and checks every component on her lightsaber, and then she gets on her holo and calls T7-O1. Her entire body is trembling. Every second wasted is a second of Viri’s life ticking away, and she knows it. 

”T7! I know we have a plan, but I need to change it. I’m coming to Zakuul now. I know it’s short notice, but I’d really appreciate it if you could still help me.” 

T7 beeps his assent. “T7 = promised to be there whenever needed. Lana + T7 = team up and free Sith Lord?”

“Yes,” Lana says, smiling with relief. “I’m hoping to head out soon. I’ll let you know my timetable once I get a ship.” 

”T7 = waiting for you at entrance when you arrive.” T7 beeps. 

“Thank you, T7. See you soon.” Lana ends the transmission and immediately starts calling members of her network on Asylum. Bounty hunters. Mercenaries. Merchants. Those who have ships fast enough to get her to Zakuul within ten hours, such as Taran and Walrez, are away from the shadow port; those who remain -- who are willing to help her -- have slower vessels. 

”I need a ship,” Lana says desperately. She calls ally after ally, and nobody has a ship that can get her to Zakuul fast enough to save Viri. She puts her head in her hands, breathing hard. 

_I have to get there. If I lose an ally or two…so be it._ Lana starts mentally calculating which fast ship she could steal. As she narrows it down to two, her holo rings. 

”Koth? What is it?” 

”I heard you need a lift to Zakuul,” he says. 

”I do,” Lana says. “And I need to be there quickly.” 

”I’ll take you and the droid, if you want. I was thinking about what you said, about allies. I won’t lie to you: I don’t like your Outlander. I don’t like anything about her. I don’t like what she did to our Emperor. But you’ve saved my life, and my crew’s lives, more times than I can count. I don’t want you to get killed on this mission. So I’m doing this to help you, not her. As your ally.” 

”I…appreciate that.” 

”I don’t have access to any really fast ships, but the military shuttle I bought can get you there in about nine hours. Will that work?” 

”Yes,” Lana says, exhaling. “I’ll meet you at the docks in a half hour. And…thank you.” 

After Koth’s image flickers away, Lana picks up her datapad and flicks to an abstract of the data she’s stored on carbonite freezing. 

_After a subject is unfrozen, they may experience severe nausea, extreme muscle weakness, hearing loss, temporary blindness or other vision disturbances. Digestive and respiratory systems will be depressed for several days to weeks._

_Neurological effects of carbonite freezing are substantial. An unfrozen subject may experience paranoia, disrupted sleep patterns, selective muteness, temporary or permanent amnesia. Subject’s thought processes may be irrational and they may have difficulty moderating their emotional responses, particularly to stress or anger. They may also scream uncontrollably when they are unfrozen as their neural pathways re-activate._

_Additionally, complications may be more pronounced and longer in duration in subjects who have experienced some degree of poisoning from imperfect freezing processes._

_In the event if poisoning, known antidotes substantially increase subjects’ odds of survival, however, they do not prevent all side effects._

”Oh, Viri,” Lana mutters. She doesn’t even know if Viri will be able to walk out of the trophy room on her own two feet, much less get back to Koth’s shuttle. But she knows she has to try, and she can’t wait for backup. 

”HK!” Lana calls her droid from the other room. 

”Yes, Master?”

”Please prepare your weapons. We’re going to Zakuul.” 

”Query: there is urgency in your voice, Master. Is something wrong?” 

”No, HK, don’t worry. We just have to move immediately.” Lana thinks for a moment and then beckons HK-55 back to her. “Master Lana Beniko: initiate programming sequence. Entering codes.” Lana gives the droid several long series of Sith and Jawa words and then presses the buttons on his back in a complex sequence. 

”Programming sequence initiated. Ready for instructions.” 

”Recognize: Master Viridana Revarre Dragoi. Alternate names Outlander, Viri, Wrath, Empire’s Wrath. Darth Viridana, Lord Dragoi. Inputting data.” Lana picks up her datapad and feeds Viri’s old Imperial Intelligence biometrics and photographs into HK-55’s memory bank. 

”Master Viridana Revarre Dragoi = recognized.” 

”Protection level = top. Supersede other priority levels.” 

”Protection level = set.” 

“New command: Do not share emotional matters of any Masters. Top priority: Master Lana Beniko and Master Viridana Dragoi.” 

”Acknowledged.” 

“New command: do not allow Koth Vortena to alter programming or divert from Master Dragoi.”

”Acknowledged, although Master Vortena is already barred from programming.” 

”Ending programming sequence. Entering codes.” Lana gives HK another long series of codes. 

”Programming sequence ended. Hello, Master. Query: why is Master Dragoi's protection level higher than yours?” 

”She’ll need it, that’s why,” Lana explains. “All of Zakuul will likely want to recapture or kill her, and she might not be at her best for a while.”

”Additional query: why am I not to talk about your relationship with Master Dragoi or emotional matters?” 

Lana frowns. “Koth doesn’t like her. He’s spent the past three years being jealous of someone he’s never even met, and he’s made it clear that I’m his ally, not Viri. I don’t want him trying to confuse her and using you to do it.” 

“Affirmation: Understood.” 

Lana looks around her room one last time and takes a shaky breath. “Let’s go to Zakuul.” 

* 

Nobody speaks during the flight to Zakuul. Koth is grim as he guides his shuttle out of hyperspace and into the heart of the Spire. 

”I know you’re not going to listen to me, but I’m going to say my piece,” Koth says, keeping his eyes focused on the buildings outside the viewscreen. “I think this is a suicide mission. You’re so fixated on getting your friend out now that you’re not considering the obvious: you won’t be able to make it out of there without being killed. Your friend assassinated the Eternal Emperor. Do you think they’re just going to send skytroopers when she’s freed?” 

”Viri can take the Knights,” Lana says scornfully. 

”I hope she can take Vaylin, too, because that’s probably who you’re going to be dealing with, unless you can get out of there immediately. I’m not saying this to slam her, Lana. Just to point out the obvious.” Koth steers the ship toward the vault. 

“I can’t let her die. I have to at least try to save her.” 

“You might pull her out of carbonite, and she might die anyway,” Koth reminds her. 

”I have two antidotes. I’m doing my best to prevent that,” Lana says. “Let’s say you’re right. Let’s say she’s dying, and nothing I can do will stop it. Let’s say I pull her out of carbonite and she doesn’t make it…” 

”Are you prepared for that?” 

”No,” Lana admits, looking out the windows. “But…I saw Viri comfort a dying Jedi once. She was someone who ordinarily would have been our enemy, but Viri gave her pain medicine and held her hand until she died. If Viri is going to die, I’d at least like to be there to comfort her. Our fates are intertwined.”

Koth turns to stare at her. “You care about her that much.” 

”How many times have I tried to explain that to you?” Lana whispers. She finishes loading the injection gun with the antidotes and examines the decoy ‘lightsaber’ she’s made. 

“Koth, HK will stay with you to provide backup. If I manage to get her out of there, I expect you to be kind to her. Also…don’t tell her how much time has passed. Let me do that.” 

Koth shrugs. “Fine.”

Lana stands up and checks her white researcher’s uniform. The forgers on Asylum have procured her a false access badge, and she pins it to the front of her jacket. It won’t hold up to any real scrutiny, but with T7-O1’s help, it should get her into the building. She hopes. A pair of dark glasses fit securely on her face, hiding her bright gold eyes. 

”Here you are,” Koth says shakily, pulling the shuttle up to the service entrance of the building. T7-O1 is already waiting for her out front. “Good luck.”

*

After a few artful manipulations to the door locks, Lana and T7-O1 stroll casually into the vault, just another scientist and her droid assistant. They stop at the weapons display cases, and Lana scans the shelves until she spots Viri’s lightsaber again. ”Right here, T7. Do your stuff.” 

The astromech beeps and plugs himself into the nearest console, and the glass door of the case slides open. Lana grabs Viri’s lightsaber and replaces it with a decoy, quick enough to avoid tripping the alarm. The blade instantly activates when she tests the saber, illuminating the space with an indigo glow. _Good. It still works_. She clips the lightsaber to her belt next to her own weapon and takes a deep breath.

”Lana = ready to proceed?” 

“Now or never,” Lana mutters. She and T7 walk calmly toward the carbonite storage room. The scientist’s disguise is no longer necessary and it might confuse Viri, so when they reach the vault entrance Lana removes the coat and glasses and hides them behind a crate. 

Arcann’s carbonite vault is bone-chillingly cold. All the better for his frozen prisoners, Lana supposes. There are countless carbonite trophies scattered throughout the room. Some hang from the ceiling and rotate in circles, like gruesome mobiles. Lana cannot help but notice that the bio-status lights on most of the carbonite blocks are dark, indicating that the hapless person trapped inside has died. 

Lana cringes as she looks from them to Viri's slab. Viri's monitor light is blinking red, indicating that her life is quickly ebbing away from her. She stares up at Viridana and inputs a code on the console to start the unfreezing process. _May the Force serve you, Viri. May it keep you alive._

“Time = three minutes,” T7-O1 reminds her. Lana nods and does her calculations in her head again. Thirty seconds to unfreeze. Another ninety seconds for the antidotes to kick in. Thirty seconds to get Viri geared, on her feet and out of the vault before they are overwhelmed. _You can do this, Beniko._

”Wake up. We need to go,” Lana says softly. As the carbonite begins to melt away, Viri’s frightened face appears. She blinks as she’s slowly unfrozen. 

“Don’t try to move. You’re dying. I may have your cure, but I’m not going to lie: this will hurt.” Lana steels herself, aims the injection gun at Viri's bicep and pulls the trigger. 

Viri screams as the antidotes hit her, and keeps screaming as she tumbles out of the carbonite casing. Lana catches her before she hits the floor and sits down with her, cradling Viri's head in one hand. All of the literature she’s read about carbonite unfreezing has suggested standing back and letting the victim revive without interference, but Lana knows she cannot abide by that. She sends as much comfort, healing and love through their bond as she can, trying to soothe Viri as the antidotes do their work. _I don’t know if you will live or die. But either way, I won’t let you go through it alone._

After a moment Viri’s breathing becomes shallow and she stops thrashing. As she lies motionless in Lana’s embrace, her eyes glassy and unfocused, time seems to elongate and slow. Lana can feel Viri's Force signature flickering; fighting; fading slightly and struggling back again. 

"Love, stay with me,” Lana begs her. "You can do this. Focus on my voice. Fight."

An eternity seems to pass before Viri’s breathing deepens again; her chest heaving as her lungs try to remember how to take in air. Her Force signature is a maelstrom of deep pain and confusion, and Lana senses that she has no idea where she is or what’s going on. All the same, she’s alive, and it makes Lana want to cry with relief. 

“Time = 1.5 minutes,” T7-O1 reminds Lana. 

”Viri? Are you there?” Lana asks softly. 

”L-Lana?” Viri’s lips are a dangerous shade of blue, and her voice is little more than a wisp of a whisper, but to Lana, it’s the loudest sound in the galaxy. When Viri gives her a tiny smile, it is almost enough to make Lana break down completely. 

“I’m here, my love,” Lana says, holding her close. “I've got you. I won’t let you go.”

Gorgeous art of Viri and Lana commissioned from https://red-flare-art.tumblr.com/. Art posted here with artist's permission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story continues in these pieces about Lana and Viri during the KOTFE-era: <https://archiveofourown.org/series/999348>
> 
> I really want to thank every single person who read, commented, left kudos, bookmarked, linked and otherwise supported this story. Thank you so much for joining Viri and Lana on their journey. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it and reading all of your comments. 
> 
> Thank you also to the wonderful artists who did artwork on commission for this story. Seeing Viri and Lana come to life has been incredible. 
> 
> Joann Cha (chapter 19): http://joann-cha.tumblr.com  
> HerGreyWarden (chapter 22): hergreywarden.tumblr.com  
> Red Flare (chapter 31): https://red-flare-art.tumblr.com/
> 
> I plan to do my best to continue writing about Viri and Lana as long as I can. Another multi-chapter, long story about them is in the pipeline, so please watch my tumblr or my Ao3 page to see when it’s up. 
> 
> May the Force serve you well!


End file.
